Victoria Concert Hall, Leeds

Leeds Town Hall has at its centre a large concert hall, dedicated to Queen Victoria who formally opened the Town Hall in 1858. These days it hosts anything from rock concerts to the renowned Leeds International Pianoforte Competition. The most glorious feature of the hall is the huge and ornate pipe organ, still used for recitals. The hall itself, with double tiers of seating, is richly decorated in a style that would be considered OTT these days, with lots of gilt and carvings, and liberally sprinkled with mottos like 'Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain'. The only jarring note, perhaps, is the 1930s Odeon-style lights, installed to replace the original Victorian chandeliers.