St Cecilia's Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum

St Cecilia's Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum Scotland's oldest purpose-built concert hall & a renowned collection of musical heritage.

St Cecilia's Hall museum brings together one of the world's most important collections of historic musical instruments.

It's Edinburgh Pride! 🌈 To all those celebrating today, including our team members and other University colleagues, we h...
21/06/2025

It's Edinburgh Pride! 🌈 To all those celebrating today, including our team members and other University colleagues, we here at St Cecilia's want to wish you all a happy Edinburgh Pride! We can't wait to see the parade go past! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Did you know that this tam-tam is a secretly famous movie star? This particular instrument was recorded for the opening ...
20/06/2025

Did you know that this tam-tam is a secretly famous movie star? This particular instrument was recorded for the opening sequence of General Film Distributors films, and later films produced by J. Arthur Rank films. Despite the formidable dragon etched on the surface, the tam-tam never made an on-screen appearance - the gong that was filmed for the sequence was actually an over-sized papier maché mock of an instrument!

Tam-tams (also called chau gong or bullseye gong) are a type of gong that originated in China. These days it can sometimes be seen used as part of a symphonic orchestra.

Hear the tam-tam in action by looking up the number 2889 in our Bloomberg Connects guide, and see it in person in the Wolfson Gallery.

Freddie Mercury was regarded as one of the greatest singers in rock music history, never shying away from using his impr...
19/06/2025

Freddie Mercury was regarded as one of the greatest singers in rock music history, never shying away from using his impressive four-octave vocal range when performing. Mercury's sexuality was a hot topic of conversation throughout his career, with some saying he hid his sexual orientation from the public, others who said he was openly gay, and even some who have argued that he was bisexual. John Marshall, in 1992, commented in the Gay Times that Mercury was "a 'scene-queen', not afraid to publicly express his gayness, but unwilling to analyse or justify his 'lifestyle'...saying to the world, 'I am what I am. So what?'", which Marshall pointed out was a statement in itself for some. Mercury remains a q***r icon today, credited for being a pioneer in glam rock through his unique voice, his flamboyant performances and unforgettable outfits.

Did you know that the basson russe, or the "Russian bassoon", is, in fact, neither Russian nor a bassoon, but is French ...
18/06/2025

Did you know that the basson russe, or the "Russian bassoon", is, in fact, neither Russian nor a bassoon, but is French and an upright serpent? It shares with the bassoon the wooden U-tube in a single piece of wood.

This instrument was made by the Cuvillier family, which was established in 1789 in St. Omar in France. Their maker’s mark was a fleur-de-lis followed by their name (Cuvillier) and a five-pointed star.

Learn more about serpents (as well as bassoons!) by visiting the Wolfson Gallery and checking out our gallery guides on the Bloomberg Connects app.

Did you know that echo cornets are designed with a valve that activates a second bell that acts as an echo chamber? By u...
15/06/2025

Did you know that echo cornets are designed with a valve that activates a second bell that acts as an echo chamber? By using the valve, the player channels the air to the echo bell, creating a muted, far away sound hence the name ‘echo cornet’! Players used the effect to add a bit of flair to their performances.

Listen to an excerpt from the ‘Tit Willow’ song from The Mikado and hear the echo effect for yourself, by looking up the number 1451 on our BloombergConnects app guide during your visit!

Did you know that St Cecilia's Hall is available as a hireable venue for events that complement the museum’s core purpos...
14/06/2025

Did you know that St Cecilia's Hall is available as a hireable venue for events that complement the museum’s core purpose as a concert hall for live music, and museum of music and musical instruments

📍Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert hall located in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town
🎼Purpose built for musical performances
🎟Capacity of 180

If we sound like the right fit for your event, get in touch at [email protected] or click the link below to find out more👇
https://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/venue-hire/

Did you know that this viola was made by one of the best-known English violin makers of the 18th century, Richard Duke? ...
13/06/2025

Did you know that this viola was made by one of the best-known English violin makers of the 18th century, Richard Duke? Unfortunately, later in life, Duke’s reputation was tarnished by many poor counterfeit instruments made in his name.

This is one of the first instruments acquired by the University for the collection, purchased in 1855. Unlike the violin, which has a pretty standard size, violas have been made in different sizes since the 16th century. This instrument is an ‘alto’ rather than a ‘tenor’ violin, more suited for higher viola parts.

Find this instrument in the Laigh Hall at St Cecilia’s Hall and listen to what it sounds like by looking up the stop 334 on our BloombergConnects guide!

American Jazz singer Bessie Smith, known as the Empress of the Blues, used her music to address contemporary social issu...
11/06/2025

American Jazz singer Bessie Smith, known as the Empress of the Blues, used her music to address contemporary social issues such as female sexuality, intra-racial conflict, capital punishment, and poverty. Her lyrical sincerity, coupled with her public behaviour, meant that she was deemed distasteful and unseemly. Some of her songs, such as Washerwoman's Blues and Poor Man's Blues, are considered by some to be early forms of African American protest music. Many of her songs, such as Prove It On me, are speculated to allude to her bisexuality. That particular song was performed by another q***r contemporary of Smith's, Ma Rainey.

Did you know that, aside from modern copies, this may be the only contrabass serpent ever made? Its snake-like coils are...
10/06/2025

Did you know that, aside from modern copies, this may be the only contrabass serpent ever made? Its snake-like coils are 16 feet (almost 5m) long and it is sometimes known as ‘The Anaconda.’ Serpents were traditionally used to play the bass parts alongside church choirs, to help the bass singers sound more powerful.

Come see it in person at St Cecilia’s Hall, and if you’re curious to hear what it sounds like, look up the number 2929 on our new digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app to see it being played!

Address

50 Niddry Street
Edinburgh
EH11LG

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

441316502600

Website

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