Grand reopening of The Reid Hall in Forfar

Following use as a Vaccination Centre, ANGUSalive is delighted that The Reid Hall in Forfar will reopen its doors to the community in Angus.

Originally founded as a Community Hall over 150 years ago, the building has been closed since March 2020, initially due to COVID restrictions and thereafter as being used as a vaccination site. The NHS moved to new premises at the end of October and ANGUSalive and Angus Council have been working closely to pull together necessary remedial works prior to re-opening the doors.

Audrey Hood, Theatre and Venues Manager with ANGUSalive said: “The Reid Hall is a fantastic, versatile community asset which has been greatly missed. The varied programme of activities which usually take place in the hall will now return along with private events such as weddings, birthday parties, charity events and concerts.”

The first concert to take place is Tayside Symphony Orchestra’s performance on Saturday 11 February 2023. Tayside Symphony Orchestra were one of the last performances at the Hall in February 2020 before the forced closure.

The orchestra is celebrating its 30th birthday this year having been formed in 1993 by their first conductor, the late Ron Walker, to raise money for Chest, Heart and Stroke. Originally meant to be a one-off event, the orchestra is still going 30 years on. The concert, ‘Reid Hall Return’, will feature popular local soprano, Maggie Findlay, performing a selection of songs by composers including Bizet and Lehar. The orchestra will also be playing selections from the shows ‘Carousel’ and ‘Showboat’ as well as a tribute to the popular composer Irving Berlin.

Orchestra Chairman, Bill McLeod said “We are so pleased that the Reid Hall is open again, and with the concert being the first public event to be held in the hall since it closed for the pandemic will make the occasion extra special. The orchestra, like so many other organisations has had to make an extended break over the pandemic, and we were so happy to get back to rehearsing and performing last year, but now we are back ‘home’ and are really looking forward to performing a wide variety of orchestra music in the Reid Hall in the months and years ahead. We have always had great support at the Hall since we first performed there 30 years ago.”

Richard Allan, conductor of TSO added; ‘I can’t believe it has been 3 years since we have been able to perform at the Reid Hall. Our last concert there was in February 2020, just before COVID hit us, and it feels very much like another big step back to full normality after such a turbulent time. I hope that people from Forfar and the surrounding area will once again support the orchestra and will enjoy the concerts that we have planned for 2023’.

You can find out more about hiring the Reid Hall for any occasion or book tickets for Tayside Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Reid Hall Return’ at www.angusalive.scot.