Salon Tuesday Photoshoot

by Catherine Chapman
with

Soprano Sarah Gabriel and countertenor Oliver Gerrish


6 Fitzroy Square

Oliver Gerrish Diptych

Sarah Gabriel in Vivienne Westwood

Sarah Gabriel, in Vivienne Westwood, and I, in vintage three-piece Huntsman, spent half a day in the Robert Adam splendours of 6 Fitzroy Square being photographed by the sublime Catherine Chapman.

Oliver Gerrish in Huntsman

It was a real collaboration as at times I held the 'Disc of love' (as named by me for some reason) to shine light on to Sarah, and vice versa.


The Baroque forms of Sarah's Westwood blue dress reacted marvellously with the cool and plain Georgian interiors in Catherine's photographs.

Beauty and the Hobbit!

At one point Sarah stood on a chair and let the dress billow out on to the floor and the lofty room assumed new proportions and Sarah's legs were taller than me. I felt like a hobbit!!...and looked a little like one too with my attempt at a beard!

Scottish Widow...

Sarah and I met doing the opera 'Artaserse' by Hasse. She was a spurned and angry maiden and I an arch villain of the nastiest kind...but in real life we have become great friends. Two years ago we started Salon Tuesdays at The Georgian Group with a concert in which we performed with Chris Suckling's 'Abbandonata'. Since then we have performed with harpsichordists Nathaniel Mander, Erik Dippenaar, Chris Bucknall and Oliver-John Ruthven, trumpeter Simon Desbruslais, violinists Oliver Webber and Davina Clarke amongst others, tenor Ben Fleetwood Smyth and countertenor Raffaele Pe...to name but a few. It has been such a thrill to perform in a chamber situation and I love bringing top music in to 6 Fitzroy Square, one of London's grand Georgian Townhouses.

We believe that the concerts, by candlelight and with wine, are a unique experience and an oasis amidst the modern craziness of London.

Oliver Gerrish

All photographs in this post are the property of photographer Catherine Chapman



For more information on the works of Catherine Chapman please see:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceeterooniepix


For information on Salon Tuesday's Concerts please see:

www.georgiangroup.org.uk

and on the wonderful venue that is 6 Fitzroy Square:

www.sixfitzroysquare.com/vebo/