The smell of antiquated library books permeated the air and worked its way through my body. I resisted the urge to cover my generous sized nose. The dark red carpet below me traveled up the stairs and was lost in the dimly lit second floor. We cautiously walked (I can be clumsy) through the foyer past china cabinets filled with memorabilia from prior performances. “Welcome to Mechanics Hall” said a pudgy and quite humble looking man sporting a green sweater vest and khakis. He emerged from a back office and peered at the rag-tag four of us who were likely interrupting his day. “Hi,” I said, hesitating for a split second as I conjured up something clever to say to him. “We are from Holy Cross and we are writing a blog about Worcester. Is there any way we could take a look around and take some pictures,” I never do clever well. “Holy Cross, you say? I graduated in ’69,” he said. Pay dirt. My eyes lit up, as I contemplated how we could use this to our advantage. “Is there any chance that you can give us a tour of the building,” I asked, exuding Crusader pride. “Sure, why not,” he said and he motioned us up the stairs. Our ascent was short-lived, due to the elderly Crusader’s long-winded dissertation regarding what would be our first stop: Washburn Hall, which is located on the second floor. Washburn Hall was named after Ichabod Washburn who ran the world’s largest wire mill in the 1800s. This Hall is used for meetings and smaller functions that do not require a larger room.
We continued our ascent up yet another set of grand stairs to an ornate white door. I was standing there, waiting for my “AHA” moment (as Mutual of Omaha likes to call it) but to my surprise, I opened the door to a dark abyss. “Wait just one minute,” Mr. Kennedy fired off. After a quick walk to the back of the room, he flicked on the lights so we could revel in the halls beauty. The hall, grandiose in size, is layered with sumptuous paintings and decorative moldings. The rows of hundreds of red chairs led my eyes to the focal point of the room. The organ. The organ is a permanent fixture of the hall and has been used in recordings by many famous musicians, including Yo Yo Ma.
Just at the point that I thought the tour was over, Mr. Kennedy moved his hands together and clapped. “That is strange,” I thought to myself.. We all stood for a moment wondering if Mr. Kennedy had hit the bottle a little early that day, when it struck me. The sound of Mr. Kennedy’s single clap had reverberated throughout the Great Hall. “That is what is so special about this hall,” he said, “If only you could imagine a full orchestra performing.” “The hell with a full orchestra,” I thought to myself, “how about the Dave Matthews Band.” We all nodded in amazement. Just before I left the Great Hall, I thanked Mr. Kennedy, and took the opportunity to let loose one hellacious clap.
