Musical melodies: talk and performance
March 2, 2012
Find
yourself in the magnificent entrance hall of Tatton Park mansion on
Thursday, March 15 and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped
into the pages of a scene from Pride and Prejudice.
Penelope Cave, prizewinning pianist and
harpsichordist, will be giving a special performance of music
played and loved by Elizabeth Egerton, the ‘lady of the house’
during the early 19th century and a contemporary of Jane
Austen.
Elizabeth Egerton (1777-1853) was a keen
musician, with a serious and lasting interest in music. Her scores
are held in Tatton Park’s collection and, with performances of
pieces from these volumes, Penelope will trace her progress from a
wealthy Yorkshire childhood, via a boarding school for young
ladies, to becoming the wife of her cousin, Wilbraham and mistress
of Tatton Park.
Penelope’s talk will highlight some of the
findings of her research into the Tatton Park music collection,
towards a PhD at the University of Southampton (funded by the
National Trust and the Arts and Humanities Research Council).
This is a rare opportunity to hear some newly
discovered material about a previous owner of the house and to hear
the very music that Elizabeth loved and played in this stunning
setting. Prepare to be transported!
Mansion and collections manager Caroline
Schofield said: “Music played a very important part in the life of
the mansion and of the Egerton family who lived here. As you stroll
through the grand rooms a visual feast meets the eyes. The musical
element brings another wonderful sensory experience and evokes the
atmosphere of days long gone, when Elizabeth Egerton was mistress
of Tatton Park in the first half of the 19th
century.”
The Musical melodies performance and talk is one of three
lectures taking place in the mansion this year. The lectures
form part of the extensive adult and family-learning programme with
nearly 60 activities and participatory events taking place this
year.
The Mansion re-opens to the public on
Saturday, March 24.
Find out about our adult and family learning
courses on our website, download our Adult and
Family learning booklet or call 01625 374428 for more
information.
Musical melodies - talk and
performance: Thursday, March 15.
11am-noon. £7.50 per person.
Penelope Cave shares recent research which
uncovers the importance of musical entertainment played in the
social world of the aristocracy in the early 19th
century. Tune in as Penny plays examples of some of the
musical pieces the Egerton family tried to master, using a Dettmer
piano of 1815.
Invention and adventure – early flight and
technology talk: Wednesday, September 20. 11am-noon.
£7.50 per person.
Jim Rait, aero-engine designer and expert in
aviation history has researched the life and aviation exploits of
Maurice Egerton. Tatton Park’s photographic collection and
Maurice Egerton’s flight-log provides a fascinating insight into
Egerton’s first attempts as a pilot and relations with the aviator
Orville Wright.
Beyond the mansion walls lecture:
Wednesday, October 10.
10.30am-noon. £10 per person lecture only or
lecture and lunch £23 per person (includes two courses and a glass
of wine).
Join historical researcher Gwyneth Mitchell to
gain an insight into the lives of 19th century estate
workers and villagers.
Booking in advance essential for
all. Please call 01625 374428 to book.
For further information about this
release contact:
Eleanor Gorsuch, Marketing
Department
Tel: 01625 374447 / Email:
eleanor.gorsuch@cheshireeast.gov.uk
http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/
Tatton Park is managed and financed by
Cheshire East Council on behalf of the National Trust.
This impressive historic estate receives in
the region of 750,000 visitors every year all of whom come to enjoy
its Georgian mansion, Tudor Old Hall, award- winning gardens and
1930s rare breeds farm. The 1,000-acre deer park is home to
red and fallow deer and the estate also boasts speciality shops,
adventure playground, restaurant and year-round events
programme.
Tatton Park is one of Cheshire’s
leading Gardens of Distinction.
Cheshire’s Gardens of
Distinction programme celebrates the richness and
diversity of Cheshire’s horticultural heritage and green
spaces. Building on the success of Cheshire’s Year of Gardens
08 marketing programme, the project aims to continue to achieve
significant impact for the regional tourism industry from local,
national and international markets. For more information
visit www.visitcheshire.com/gardens
Supported by the European Regional
Development Fund.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is making a real
difference to people and businesses in the North West. With €755
million to invest between 2007 and 2013, ERDF is enhancing the
competitiveness of the region’s economy by supporting growth in
enterprise and employment.
ERDF in the North West is managed by the
Department for Communities and Local Government – for further
information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf.