Madam, - In his review of the concert given by Camerata Kilkenny in St Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle, your music critic Michael Dervan writes (June 9th): "In spite of the obvious quality of the playing, it would have to be admitted that the expressive communication of their performances was somewhat muted, the limitations most likely imposed by the scale and acoustic of the venue".
No wonder! The well-nigh perfect acoustic of St Patrick's Hall has been utterly ruined by the laying of a thick carpet covering every inch of the wooden floor. In past days this wooden floor was uncovered except for two narrow strips of thin carpet running down each side, and these strips could easily be pulled away.
A beautiful resonance which was a musical joy has now been replaced with a dry, clinical sound against which the performers have to struggle.
At the moment a concert in St Patrick's Hall is a sore trial, particularly for the players. I can only hope that someone, somewhere will remove the offending floor covering. This simple action will restore the hall to its former acoustic excellence. - Yours, etc.,
LINDSAY ARMSTRONG,
Orchestra of St Cecilia,
9 Bass Place,
Dublin 2.