Official opening

The official opening of the brand new Civic and Wulfrun halls took place on Thursday May 12 1938.

The ceremony started at 11.30am when George Dorrington Cunningham, the city organist of Birmingham, gave a recital on the hall's Compton Organ while the audience arrived.

At 12.10 the official procession began, including the mayor Councillor Richard Probert, chairman of the Civic Hall committee Councillor Bertram Kidson, the chief constable, the high sheriff, the bishop of Lichfield, the architects, the builders and a large number of other local dignitaries.

The procession made its way through the hall where speeches, prayers and hymns took place. The building was officially declared open to the public by Humphry Legge, the 8th Earl of Dartmouth.

The Wolverhampton Musical Society, conducted by Harold Gray, gave a further short performance before the civic party and audience left the building.

In the evening a ball was held to celebrate the opening where guests were entertained by Jack Hylton and his orchestra.

The grand opening concert in the hall took place on Sunday May 15. It was given by the Old Royals Association (former pupils of the Royal Wolverhampton School) and featured Webster Booth and Ann Ziegler as soloists.

It is true to say that this dignified and spacious building will stand as a symbol of the town's progress and greatness and that from it will radiate an influence of incalculable value in developing a general civic consciousness and a real spirit or corporate unity.

A souvenir brochure was produced as part of the official opening with a foreward by the mayor.

In it he states that the new hall will “be the centre of the social and cultural life of the town.”

“It is true to say that this dignified and spacious building will stand as a symbol of the town's progress and greatness and that from it will radiate an influence of incalculable value in developing a general civic consciousness and a real spirit or corporate unity.”

The brochure includes a number of photographs of the Civic and Wulfrun Halls and pays tribute to the architects and builders for creating a hall “which will be an enduring monument to their labours.”