Song School, St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh

Song School designed by John Oldrid Scott 1881, built by Robert Rowand Anderson 1888-1892; with murals by Phoebe Anna Traquair, 1888 - 92. Walpole Hall, Lorimer and Matthew, 1933. Halls linked at SW corner by single storey corridor block (circa 1933). Later flat roofed single storey addition at E. Set on site adjacent to St Mary's Cathedral.

SONG SCHOOL: single storey rectangular-plan Scots Baronial church hall. Squared and snecked sandstone; low stone buttresses. Moulded string course, stepped to become cill course at windows. Crow stepped gables; twin gables breaking wallhead to N elevation; single gable to S. Steeply pitched roof and small louvered and slated fleche to centre. Prominent stone transomed and mullioned windows, with sandstone ashlar cills, lintels and rybats. INTERIOR: small entrance vestibule leading to large barrel-vaulted hall, library to S. Additional doorway to NE corner accessing small single storey block linking to Walpole Hall. MURALS: on the theme of the Benedictine, predominantly in red and blue. Choir and clergy, Pentecost and Christ's empty tomb. To E wall. Verses from the canticles and portraits of Traquair's contempories (D.G. Rossetti, W. Holman-Hunt, G.F. Watts) to S wall. Choristers and birds singing together and panel of eminent figures in history such as Dante and Blake to N. Four beasts and seraphs singing Sanctus to W.

WALPOLE HALL: single storey, 4-bay, rectangular-plan hall. Squared and snecked sandstone. Corniced eaves course to E and W elevations. Low wallhead broken by tall shaped dormers. Additional lower curved gable to S elevation. Single storey porch to N gable with moulded surround and carved relief panel; oculus above with moulded keystoned surround. INTERIOR: small entrance vestibule to Chester Street leading to large barrel vaulted hall. Plain interior with timber floor and panelled timber dado. Raised stage to S, flanking doors with small glazed panels leading to further rooms to rear (S) of building; top lit corridor to left. Additional entrance to rear at right giving access to small single storey block linking to Song School and to exterior.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows throughout with large 9 over 15-pane windows to dormers at Walpole Hall. Steep pitched roofs; grey slates. Tall shaped and buttressed chimneystack with modern clay cans to S elevation of Song School. Cast-iron rainwater goods.