The new society took its name from the St.Cecile hall which was then in the Rue de la Chaussee d'Antin.

It was a large square hall and was excellent in spite of the prejudice in favor of halls with curved lines for music.
Curved surfaces, as Cavaille-Coll, who was an expert in this matter, once told me, distort sound as curved mirrors distort images.

Halls used for music should, therefore, have only straight lines.

The St.Cecile hall was sufficiently large to allow a complete orchestra and chorus to be placed properly and heard as well.
Seghers managed to assemble an excellent and sizable orchestra and he also secured soloists who were young then but who have since become celebrities.

The orchestra was poorly paid and also very unruly.