The Lights Fantastic

If you look at the the photos I posted of the Laura Turner Concert Hall over the past few days, you no doubt noticed the beautiful lighting fixtures. In the concert hall, there are eight grand chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, and a number of smaller, wall-mounted fixtures lining the east and west walls under the windows (Both shown above.). There are approximately 40 different fixture styles throughout the Center, and the basic design is the same for each style. The size and mounting vary, but the look and feel is the same. (The photos at right and below left show the light fixtures in the main lobby. )

Using inspiration from St. Leopold Church in Vienna, Austria, New York-based Susan Brady Lighting Design created custom fixtures that reflect the grandeur and feel of the Center. Each of the fixtures has polished nickel bases and six-inch globes that have a crackled texture to emulate candlelight. (By the way, note that the bases of the hanging chandeliers in the concert hall and lobby resemble an upside-down wedding cake!)

As with every other detail in the building, the lighting design came second to acoustics. There are eight massive chandeliers in the concert call, four of which measure seven feet in diameter by seven feet in height and have over 80 globes hanging from the base. Believe it or not, the fixtures were built in such a way that not one arm or globe vibrates at all.

Join me tomorrow as we look at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center's icons and the meaning behind them.

"Organic" music

When the Schermerhorn Symphony Center opened last September, it was missing one major player - the $2.5 Martin Foundation Concert Organ. In the photo above, you can see some of the organ's pipes (and some of the additional on-stage seating).

The process of building, installing and tuning the organ, built by California-based Schoenstein & Company, took approximately two years (almost 14,000 man-hours). Once installed in the concert hall, the organ had to sit for a year to settle. . .get used to its environment, if you will. Tuning the massive instrument took almost seven months, and for eight weeks before the organ's September, 2007 debut, crew members worked 12-hour days to prepare it.

The organ's 3,568 pipes have lengths that vary from 3/4 inch to more than 32 feet. The length of the pipe determines the sound it produces. The shorter the pipe, the higher the note, and the longer the pipe, the lower the note. The smallest pipe produces a note two times higher than the orchestra's highest instrument. Likewise, the longest pipe produces a note two times lower than the orchestra's lowest instrument.

Only 20% of the organ's pipes are wood. The remaining 80% are a combination of tin, zinc and lead. There are three fan blowers (12.5 horsepower) in the Center's basement that push wind through the pipes, creating the sound. The organist sits at the console (not shown), which has three manual keyboards and one pedal keyboard and features over 250 pre-programmed settings. By playing the keys, stops and controls, the organist determines how much "wind" goes through which pipes and creates what and how much sound. (WHEW!! That's a lot of air!)

Join me tomorrow as we look at the Center's chandeliers and a few decorative accents that grace the Schermerhorn.

Seating and Clothing and Flooring! Oh, My!

The photo above is a reverse of yesterday's photo of the Laura Turner Concert Hall at The Schermerhorn Symphony Center. I took this photo from the seats at the back of the stage, and you can clearly see the three levels of seats in the hall. There are approximately 1860 seats in the hall - about 600 fewer than were in the Jackson Hall where the Symphony performed for years - providing a "more intimate" setting for performances.

A closer look at the seats shows that they consist of a wood frame with a padded, cloth seat and back. I've been told that the plans originally called for more cloth on the seats, but that engineers advised the Board that the cloth absorbs sound and would affect what the audience hears. Therefore, every seat in the house, including the expensive box seats (which are individual chairs instead of the "stadium-style" seats of the main floor and balconies), are mostly cherry wood.

Speaking of cloth and acoustics, the Symphony asks (read: requires) the audience check their coats when attending a performance to "enhance the acoustical experience" inside of the hall. There are several complimentary coat-check stands on each level of the Schermerhorn. Interesting, no?

Notice, also, that there is no carpeting on the floor of the hall. Like the chairs, the floor is cherry. However, one of the most interesting facts about the main floor is that it can be converted from the traditional concert seating to a cabaret-style floor in hours. A motorized system can lower the tiered rows of seats into a storage space below, replacing them with a flat, 5,700 square-foot, hardwood floor. The converted space can accommodate close to 600 people in a cabaret-style venue (tables and chairs), as well as food and/or buffet tables, bars, etc.

There is, by the way, a 3,000 square-foot, fully equipped commercial kitchen in the SCC, and the chef and staff can cater events held at the Center. In addition, there is a public garden and cafe that are open daily.

Please join me tomorrow as we look at the light fixtures and the concert hall's pipe organ.

The Concert Hall

As I wrote yesterday, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center opened in September, 2006. Before moving into the new hall, the Symphony performed for years in a hall in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, a venue whose acoustics are not made for a symphony orchestra. The acoustics are definitely *not* a problem in the SSC as the Symphony Board advised the architects and engineers to design the best and most acoustically sound hall possible.

The designers of the 197,000 square-foot Schermerhorn Center looked to great concert halls of the world (Amsterdam, Boston, Vienna, and Zurich, in particular) for inspiration. The shoebox-designed Laura Turner Concert Hall (above) seats approximately 1860 people on the different levels. In this photo, you can see the main floor and, on either side, the Loge and Founders' Boxes and side balconies. The stage can accomodate up to 115 musicians. In addition, there is seating for 146 choral members which, if a choir is not performing, can seat additional audience members.

At the top of each of the side walls are soundproof windows (There are 30 in all.) which allow natural light in to the hall. The Schermerhorn is one of the few concert halls in the world and the only major one in the USA to have this feature. The "dual pane" windows are actually two panes of glass separated by 24 inches of dead air. While light comes in, outside noise does not. (Please note that I used natural light to take this photo.)

A two-inch acoustic isolation joint surrounds the entire concert hall to protect it from any vibration in other parts of the building. In addition, there is a hallway between the walls that you see in the photo and walls in other parts of the building. In other words, the concert hall is like a box within a box (I hope that makes sense!), and that extra buffer helps keep out exterior noises.

Everything in the hall, from the floor to the chairs to the lights to the molding and plaster used aid in making this hall acoustically sound. Be sure to join me tomorrow when I'll discuss the floor, the seats, and the concert-goers and their part in this acoustical marvel.

*The* Music Venue in Music City

Most people equate Nashville with Country Music, but few people outside of Music City know that Nashville is home to one of the elite symphony halls in the world.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center (above), named for Kenneth Schermerhorn who led the Nashville Symphony for 22 years before his death in 2005, opened in September, 2006. Previously, the Symphony performed in Jackson Hall at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC).

The neoclassical building sits on an entire city block in downtown Nashville. Designers used great concert halls all over the world as models for the Center, and everything, from lighting and acoustics to the railings on the stairs and entry balcony, is the way it is for a reason. The building also houses a music education hall, a public garden, a cafe, and a gift shop.

Today (October 6), was Free Day of Music at the Center. From 10 a.m. until almost midnight, area residents could tour the entire Center and listen to all kinds of free performances (I loved the salsa band!). For the next few days, I'll take you on a tour and explain what makes the Schermerhorn Symphony Center so great!

The Autumn Leaves

The Nashville area experienced a myriad of extreme weather conditions this year. We had a relatively mild winter, and the temperatures warmed up early in March. However, Easter weekend, we had a cold (and I do mean COLD) snap, followed by a couple of hard freezes and snow. . .UGH. A lot of trees and bushes, particularly the flowering trees, sustained a lot of damage. Many of them died, and those that recovered had fewer leaves than normal.

It seems like we went directly from that cold snap to HOT weather. And, this summer, we had day after day of 90+ degree weather days,. During August, we had weeks of triple-digit temperatures. In addition, we experienced a drought. Many trees or bushes, already taxed from the weird, spring weather, just dried up in the heat.

Normally, if we have enough rain in the spring and summer, the autumn leaves turn red, gold, orange, spice, burgundy and yellow. This year, the leaves are pretty lackluster. As you can see in the photo above, we seem to have two colors. . . .khaki and brown. Like so many other trees all over the mid-state area, the trees in the middle of this photo are, most likely, dead and not just losing leaves. It will be interesting to see what happens next spring.

Dandgure's

You might remember that a few weeks ago, I posted a photo of a mural painted on the side of a downtown building. I found this mural painted on a building a few blocks away from the other one.

Dandgure's is another southern, meat-and-three restuarant. . .cafeteria, actually. They advertise "classic, southern cookin'." I haven't been there, but one of the only complaints I've heard is that sometimes it's crowded. If that's the only thing about which people complain, that's pretty good! If you go, try the crispy, fried porkchop which is their specialty.

Two small notes: If you're new to NDP and didn't see a previous post about it, a meat-and-three is a restaurant that serves a meat and three side dishes.

Also, note the lack of graffiti on this building. I think my husband was right in his conclusion that graffiti artists want a blank slate for their work and don't want to compete with muralists.

A School of Firsts

In 1855, the first public school in Nashville, Hume School, opened on the corner of Broad Street and Spruce (now 8th) Avenue. Twelve teachers taught all grades in the three-story building.
Twenty years later, Fogg High School opened on an adjoining lot that faced Broad Street. (The front of the building above faces Broad. Spruce/8th Avenue is on the far left, and unseen, of this photo.) The high school classes moved there. In 1912, the school district combined the two schools into a new facility (The original two buildings were destroyed.) and renamed the school Hume-Fogg High School. And, in 1919, Hume-Fogg was the first school in Tennessee to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

For years, Hume-Fogg followed a basic high school curriculum, but gradually in the 40s-50s, the school added technical and vocational classes. In the early 80s, Hume-Fogg became the first magnet school in the Metro Nashville School District. Hume-Fogg continues to be the academic magnet high school, attracting approximately 900 students from all areas of the school district.

A couple of interesting notes: The school became a magnet as a way to voluntarily comply with court-ordered desegregation. Academically gifted students from around the area, regardless of race or ethnic background, could attend Hume-Fogg. The school remains a magnet today, and students must qualify academically, apply, and be chosen via a lottery in order to attend.

While the school has no football team, students do participate in other sports, and the percentage of students participating in sports is among the highest in the school district.

The school, which resembles a castle, was designed in a Gothic style. The building has two ramparts out front, and the walls and floors are both 24-inches thick, adding more to the castle/fort feeling. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Dinah Shore supposedly is an alumni of the school.

Orange Glow

While we were in Europe, summer gave way to autumn. At the Farmers' Market, mums replaced the begonias, and pumpkins replaced the tomatoes.

Did you know the following about pumpkins?

* Pumpkins originated in North America - specifically Mexico. Seeds found there date back 5-7,000 years!
* "Pumpkin" comes from the Greek, "pepon," or large melon. The French changed it to "pompon," and the English to "pumpion."
* Pumpkins were part of the Indians' diet long before Europeans arrived at Plymouth Rock. They used them in everything from stews to desserts.
* Europeans made the first "pumpkin pies" by filling hollow pumpkin shells with milk and spices and baking them in the ashes of cooking fires. (I prefer mine with crust.)
* Pumpkins come in a variety of colors, from white to various shades of orange.
* Pumpkins also come in a variety of sizes. Miniature ones can weigh less than a pound. The World Record for largest pumpkin was recorded just last week (9/27/07). The winner, from Massachusetts, weighed 1689 pounds! (Makes that 1000 pound one from Tennessee look like a sprout.)

OctoberTheme Day: Cemeteries/Tombstones

The Nashville City Cemetery, opened in 1822, is the oldest continuously operating cemetery in the city. Over 20,000 people of all races, colors and creeds have been interred at NCC, including James Robertson, the founder of Nashville. The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The resting places shown above are for Captain William Driver, his wife and a few children. Originally from Salem, Massachusetts, Driver is the person who coined the phrase, "Old Glory" when referring to the American flag. Driver designed his own tombstone which, as you can see, has an anchor resting on a tree stump. This grave is one of only three places in the USA where the US Flag can fly 24 hours (authorized by a Congressional act). You might notice that the flag was not flying on the grave today.

Two notes: A few weekends during October, volunteers dressed in period costume tell the story of many of the souls buried in Nashville City Cemetery. We had never gone but plan to do so this year.

The story of "Old Glory:" While the details of the story vary depending on who is telling it, the basic tale is that Driver's mother and her friends sewed the flag for him and presented it to him as he was ready to leave on a journey around the world. Legend has it that he was on his way to rescue mutineers from the ship, The Bounty (Mutiny on the Bounty). When Driver hoisted the flag on the ship's pole and saw it flying in the wind, he exclaimed, "Old Glory!" From that time on, Driver always kept the flag with him, adding to the original 20 stars as states joined the Union.

Driver moved to Nashville in 1837 and proudly showed the flag to everyone. When Tennessee seceded from the Union, Driver had his wife sew the flag inside of a comforter to prevent Confederate soldiers from destroying it. Eventually, Nashville fell to Union soldiers, and Driver removed the flag from the quilt and accompanied a regiment of Ohio soldiers to the state capitol where he hoisted the flag himself.

Be sure to check out the other City Daily Photo Blogs participating in October's Theme Day (Please remember that due to time differences, posts will show up at different times!):
St. Louis (MO), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Hyde, UK - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Toulouse, France - Arradon, France - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Joplin (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Seattle (WA), USA - Baziège, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Grenoble, France - Seoul, South Korea - Greenville (SC), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Nashville (TN), USA - Tenerife, Spain - Manila, Philippines - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Jacksonville (FL), USA - River Falls (WI), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Lubbock (TX), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Moscow, Russia - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Minneapolis (MN), USA - New Orleans (LA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - London, England - Paderborn, Germany - The Hague, Netherlands - Selma (AL), USA - Sunderland, UK - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Stavanger, Norway - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Forks (WA), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Wellington, New Zealand - Montpellier, France - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Evry, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - New York City (NY), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cypress (TX), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Haninge, Sweden