Bedford Corn Exchange is an events and concert venue located on St Paul's Square in the
Castle area of
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
,
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
History of the Corn Exchange
The building (constructed in 1874) was designed to be a
concert
A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variet ...
venue and meeting space, as well as a place of
business. The basement contained offices, cloakrooms, kitchen, hall keepers room, and dining rooms. The build took two years and the total cost was £9,000. It replaced the "Floral Hall" building across St Paul's Square which had been constructed in 1849.
The
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...
used the Corn Exchange between September 1941 and July 1945 for public concerts which were broadcast to the nation. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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...
Music and Religious Departments moved to Bedford when it became too dangerous for them to be based in
. Around 400 musicians, staff, and engineers moved to the town during World War Two.
In 1944, the
came to Bedford. Since their birth, they had been performed in The
in London, which was destroyed by bombs on 10 May 1941. They moved to the
until that too became in danger and they transferred to the Corn Exchange for the rest of the 1944 season. The Corn Exchange played host to many star names during World War Two, including
. During this time, the Corn Exchange was also used as an Armed Forces
.
Orchestra began a residency at the Corn Exchange. It is still one of the homes of the
today.
The Bedford Corn Exchange is a multi-purpose venue holding over 800 events per year. These include concerts,
, council meetings, and corporate events. Performers at the venue for the Spring 2013 season include
Orchestra.