Newcastle Conservatorium of Music: Newcastle, NSW, AUSTRALIA

There are quite a few smaller place around Australia (and the world...) where I could swear that I've never played in... but that, as soon as I pull up and walk into the building, it all seems quite oddly familiar.

... and this is one of them. Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in regional New South Wales. Now, I have played in this city a few times previously... but in different venues, and I had thought that I had never played here before.

But, that front looks oddly familiar... and when I walked through into the foyer and the dressing rooms. Well, I KNOW I have been here before... just when? Perhaps when I was studying as a student nearby Sydney... I used to come to Newcastle to play in concerts for a friend's father's group.

Anyway, the Hall itself is quite nice... with a largish organ taking up a good chunk of the viewing space!

... and the seating being quite comfortable for most of the audience, with raised and raked seating. I'm not crazily fond of the higher side seating facing inwards instead of towards the stage at an angle. I think that people who design their seating like that haven't thought about people having to twist their necks towards the stage for hours... it hurts.

... and the full stage itself. Not a large stage, but perfect for a small chamber ensemble. And the acoustics are pretty nice to play in as well... so a nice surprise, and more than a touch of daja vu!