DSO general manager Philippa Harris said new acoustic panelling had been fitted, and the hall was at a stage in its development in which members of the orchestra could do what was effectively, a sound check.
She said the former Hanover St Baptist Church building was previously very resonant, and a single sound could reverberate around the room for several seconds.
"We’ve put in specially manufactured acoustic panels, pretty much the whole way around the room, and we’ve added some carpet to some of the floor — that seems to have done the trick.’’Creating the right acoustic for the orchestra was a fine balancing act, she said.
"You don’t want to make it too dead. You want a little bit of life in it.
"The musicians are absolutely loving it. It’s worked out really well."
The orchestra used the short time in the new hall to rehearse its accompaniment for City Choir Dunedin’s performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
It is a cycle of cantatas, unified by the Christmas story, and will be performed in the Dunedin Town Hall on Friday.
She said the orchestra would not officially move to Hanover Hall (from the Carnegie Centre in Moray Pl) until some time in the new year, but everyone involved was very excited about the long-awaited move.
"The building has been brought to life and its former glory has been restored.
"That’s what is so uplifting and inspiring, and I think the musicians are sensing that as well. It’s a whole new chapter in the orchestra’s history."
