Solutions On Stage Helps St Hilda’s Make Noise

Founded in 1893 as a hall for women, St Hilda’s is one of Oxford University’s most renowned colleges, situated on the banks of the River Cherwell. Located within St Hilda’s is the Jacqueline du Pre Music building; a stunning, modern, and intimate venue designed specifically for chamber music performances. It’s also the home of Music at Oxford, a music charity which curates regular performances by a diverse range of world-class artists, alongside a large and thriving learning and participation programme. With the venue having recently invested in a new electric organ for its main stage, they called upon Solutions on Stage to install six brand-new speakers for the instrument’s amplification as well as oversee new cabling routing.

As a company that aims to build long-term relationships with its clients, this is something Solutions On Stage has proudly done with St Hilda’s. Franco Lopez, St Hilda’s Events Team Technical Lead, comments: ‘I started working at St Hilda’s, and in turn looking after the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building, in February 2023; at which time Solutions On Stage were already our designated contractors for works, maintenance, and installations. I was quickly made aware of their ethos to oversee the life cycle of a venue, with their in-depth knowledge of our space meaning they are in the best position to support it. As such, I have continued to use them in an effort to improve and update our existing AV infrastructure, and upgrade any out-of-date tech”.

When Franco first called upon Solutions On Stage, it was to install a hanging truss for microphones above the stage area. So when the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building needed further technical works which involved their new organ, Franco reached out to the team again. He explains: “We’d recently invested in a new organ which is a pivotal feature of the space. That said, we knew it would require significant audio reinforcement to ensure it could be fully enjoyed and experienced by anyone attending a performance, regardless of where they were sat. This is where Solutions On Stage came in”.

Solutions On Stage was tasked with installing six active speakers above the rail curtain which hangs over the stage, in order to then connect these to the new electric organ that was on-stage. The company also had to deliver all of the cable routing to provide power from fused spurs to the speakers as well as ethernet/MIDI connections from the auditorium to the studio at the back of the building.

Following the installation of the speakers, they have since been used on numerous performances; both by Oxford students as well as external parties utilising the space. Franco comments: “As the space continues to be made as technically advanced as possible, these upgrades mean I’m able to readily accommodate the more experimental tech requests made by external clients. As always, I had a brilliant experience working with Solutions On Stage who are always professional, approachable and completely transparent throughout the entire installation process”.

Rebecca Curtis, Technical Manager at Solutions On Stage, comments: “It was brilliant working with St Hilda’s once again. Not only was this quite a unique project, but it was another example of a customer knowing they can call on both our expertise and previous knowledge of their venue to fulfil their technical ambitions”.

If your performance venue requires any upgrade or installation works, then feel free to contact our friendly team at enquiries@solutionsonstage.co.uk.