Royal Albert Hall Royal Commission bought Gore House and its grounds (on which the Hall now stands) on the advice of the Prince. Progress on the scheme was slow and in 1861 Prince Albert died, without having seen his ideas come to fruition. However, a memorial was proposed for Hyde Park, with a Great Hall opposite. The proposal was approved and the site was purchased with some of the profits from the Exhibition. Once the remaining funds had been raised, in April 1867 Queen Victoria signed the Royal Charter of the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences which was to operate
Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Joan Armatrading album) and "Joan Armatrading". AllMusic's Thom Jurek observed that: "Armatrading's guitar playing has never been more agile or visceral", adding that she is "a virtuoso". He went on to describe the songs on the album as "anthemic", "soulful", "stinging" and "electrifying", drawing attention to Armatrading's "emotional depth and unique vocal phrasing", concluding that "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" is "the most electrifying live album in Armatrading's long career". Allan Wilkinson of "Northern Sky Magazine" noted that "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" has "a stellar cast of musicians" and is "testament to the continued life and work of the UK's