The Public Herrmann
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore
The best remembered of Herrmann’s conducting jobs in London was of course his in the classic Hitchcock thriller: “The Man Who Knew Too Much” in 1955. In the film he conducted the London Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Arthur Benjamin’s so-called “Storm Cloud Cantata” at the Royal Albert Hall. The Cantata was adapted from the music to the original 1934 Hitchcock film of the same name. Given the option to write his own piece, Herrmann declined and took the chance of conducting a work of one of his favourite composers with one of the world’s best orchestras.
Furthermore Herrmann returned to the Hall for a concert in 1962.
Royal Festival Hall, Albert Embankment
The recording sessions with the LSO for the Albert Hall sequence in “The Man Who Knew Too Much” actually took place at the Festival Hall which was opened in 1951 for the Festival of Britain.
Herrmann used the Hall frequently in the 1950ies and 1960ies for several concerts.
National Film Theatre, Albert Embankment
Just a stone-throw from the Festival Hall, directly under the south side of Waterloo Bridge one can find the British Film Institute’s National Film Theatre. On June 11, 1972 Herrmann gave here his only lecture in London. He was invited by the BFI to lecture and answer questions by Canadian writer Ted Gilling and members of the audience. The event was well attended.
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine Street
A concert on April 21 for the 150th anniversary of the death of Lord Byron in 1974 became Herrmann’s first London concert in over 5 years and it was to be his last. The Theatre Royal had been opened by Byron himself in 1812 and was considered the perfect venue for the concert by the Byron Society (Herrmann was a member).
More about this concert: Byron Concert