ALBERT HALL ECHOES

Evening Star, Issue 19786, 9 February 1928, Page 1

ALBERT HALL ECHOES

EFFECTS OF DRESS. The fatuous Albert Hall echo, which has been making itself manifest right and night lately, with a. disconcerting effect on artists and audience, is to ho ‘‘ killed forthwith, says a recent issue of the London ‘ Dail.v.Chroniclo.’ Mr 0 15. Cochran Ims decided to make *ho hull echo-proof. He is cooperating with a small army .of experts in a gigantic echo hunt. Tiuruing began in the roof. Two men set in motion the wheels .of an “ interrupter,” a scientific- instrument which combines the function of- a searchlight with that of a projector, and throws out simultaneously sound and light. ■ We found onr lirst echo,;, immediately. Back into the arena, Where wo were standing, came the ‘buzzing’ of the interrupter, sounding like the twittering of u thousand birds. “Steadily the beam swept the hull. Here wo missed the answering buzz—the beam, tor instance, was sliot into the Royal box. which was proved echopmoi ‘ Hiere, a few yards along, wo heard the ghost birds singing their song.’’ Altogether about fifteen separate echoes were located. \Vi Din recent years, one of the experts said echoes in Albert Hall and in other buildings have increased in volume. For Ibis he blamed the prevailing fashion in women’s dress. “ With their shingled hair and skimpy clothes, women are not as sound absorbing as they were when dresses were voluminous and Huffy,” ho explained, “ Now the sound is reflected back into the hall instead of heingabsorhed. Simil. y, the hard dress-shirt fronts of the men arc had sound or echo absorbers. “It will take us about seven weeks to locate tho Albert Hall echoes scientifically, Then, once wo have mapped them out wt shall drape the danger spots with some sound-absorbing material, and that’s the last we shall ever hoar of tho echoes."