LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Hall’s executive director last night pledged its commitment to Hope Street for at least the next 30 years.

Speaking on the anniversary of a massive blaze which destroyed the old hall in 1933, Simon Glinn admitted corrosion of the building may ultimately force a move.

Exactly 75 years ago on Saturday, a spark in the an organ loft triggered a fire that destroyed one of Europe’s best concert halls.

A dense crowd gathered to witness the end of an era for the Philharmonic Hall. It had stood in Hope Street since its official opening on August 27, 1849, and was a solid sign of faith in the city’s culture.

Now, as then, the Philharmonic has been at the heart of this year’s European Capital of Culture events.

But conductor Vasily Petrenko has spoken of a move to a new, modern facility that would help cement the RLPO’s reputation among the world’s foremost orchestras.

Mr Glinn last night said: “We have an enormous commitment to Hope Street and we’re not going anywhere.

“Seventy-five years ago, they dredged the water of the Mersey, not realising that the sediment contained sodium, which is helping to corrode the structure of the Philharmonic. This requires great work.

“We are conscious that with the supremely talented and creative Vasily Petrenko saying, ‘It would be great if . . .’ there are people wondering what will happen. But we’re looking at making sure it stays in Hope Street for at least the next 30 years.”

He added that a waterfront move after that could be feasible.

Last night’s gathering was part of a look back at the origins of the Liverpool Phil, 75 years after the disaster.

Vincent McKernan, RLPO archivist, put some of the Philharmonic’s archive, normally held at Liverpool Records Office, on display.

Pictures of the great fire ripping through the timber framework were shown off alongside photographs of the hall Rachmaninov conducted and played in.

But while the artefacts underline the tragedy and drama of the fire, they also reveal that this marked a turning point in the city’s cultural history.

The old Philharmonic Hall, Mr McKernan suggests, was a bastion of snobbery that excluded most Liverpool people.

He said: “When the new hall was built, they broadened the audience. They started having schools’ concerts, the slightly patronising sounding but well-intentioned Man-on-the-Street concerts and Industrial Concerts for three shillings and sixpence (17½p).”

One artefact, an extract from the Liverpool Daily Post on the morning of July 6, 1933, however reveals the horror with which the news was greeted: “It comes at a most awkward moment in the musical development of the city and sets a most anxious problem before society,” an extract reads.

Shiverpool Ghost Tours performed a short play using the ghosts of Philharmonic past, present and future to make the same points.

richarddown