A night in Champagne...

                                               Chateau d'Etoges

On the way to Switzerland, why not stop off for a night in Champagne? A bath of champagne, in reality, could be rather ticklish and acidic - a day or two in the region, with the August sun warmly shining, is luxurious and perfect.

                        St Pierre and and St Paul, Montmort

The pulpit at Montmort.

On the way we stopped off in Montmort, where the mighty Chateau towers-up the moment you come close to the village. The church, once monastic, is cruciform with double transepts and ancient glass. The central window of the apse has Christ with a crown of green thorns around his head - signifying life. Elsewhere a large Mediaeval Crucifix has Christ smiling. The church has the most marvellous acoustics - I want to sing there one day...!

                              Montmort

The Chateau at Etoges is still in private hands and is a most beautifully run place. A moat encircles the house and each corner boasts a round tower. A grand bridge crosses the water - this was once broken in half after a large coach with an even larger duchess crossed it.

Inside there is a sweeping Baroque staircase and a noble enfilade along the moat facade.

This dip into Champagne has whet my appetite for the architecture of the region - I cant wait to return!!






For information on the glorious Chateau d'Etoges go to: http://www.etoges.com

Young Georgian
Mad Hatter's
Summer Pimm's and cake
PARTY

Mad Hatter Hosts - Self and Zuleika Parkin

On thursday 30th July The Georgian Group was en fête for the Young Georgian summer drinks. We were celebrating mad headgear, our new Chairman of The Georgian Group, Christopher Boyle QC, and the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Alice in Wonderland. 

The Georgian Group - 6 Fitzroy Square.

The decoration and catering were all by Zuleika Cakes. The grand Robert Adam reception rooms were approached by a staircase guarded by a pink flamingo - a similar, but larger flamingo, welcomed guests along with a footman in a royal blue and silver tunic.

Guests drank their Pimm's from mis-matched antique cups. The tea buffet quaked under mountains of red velvet cupcakes, home-made scones, playing card jam tarts and cucumber sandwiches laid in chessboard configuration.

Lobsters, turtles, roses and petals adorned the statuary marble chimney pieces, and Lady Worsley was brought up from the Library to gaze down on the felicitous gathering...one thinks she may have unshocked of the saucy novel, the pages of which were strewn all over the floorboards. 

There were a number of superb head-ornaments...

Christopher Boyle, Chairman of The Georgian Group and artist Francesca Sanders.

Sam Botterill and authoress Blanche Girouard.

Zuleika Parkin

In this great Waterloo year The Georgian Group and The Young Georgians are going stronger than ever and striving to combine scholarship, fun, learning and enjoyment of our glorious and fascinating Georgian heritage.

To find out more please go to:-

http://georgiangroup.org.uk/docs/about/index.php

The photographs in this blog are copyright of Oliver Gerrish. With thanks to David Goldstaub, Zuleika Parkin and Gina Chrysanthou for their photographs.

New GeorgianOpera

at

Sledmere House

Saturday 11th April 2015

                                          Sledmere

                                Not a bad view from the rehearsal!

New Georgian Opera was invited to perform at Sledmere, one of the most magnificent private houses in the north of England.

The Sykes family built this great Neo-Classical house, which looks to all the world as the Georgians left it. This is not the case - Sledmere was ravaged by fire in 1911 and was rebuilt in an even more princely manner. At this time the Hall was constructed, and it is not unlike a grand London Club. Mercifully the plaster molds had survived the fire and various paintings and photographs of the interior, so much of it was restored, including the library, arguably the grandest country house library in Britain and one of the great rooms of Europe.

                     Guests ascending the staircase from the Hall to the Library

Diva Dog sitting pretty...

...and Bertie making himself at home !

                                                   Meeta Raval

                                             Oliver Gerrish

                                              Charlotte Forrest

Soprano and co-founder of New Georgian Opera, Meeta Raval, and I were delighted to have pianist Charlotte Forrest to perform with us for the second time. The lights of the great Library were dimmed and the concert began.

The programme encompassed centuries of music from Purcell through to Puccini, Ivor Gurney to Britten and a contemporary piece written in memory of Helly Bliss, 'White Bee, by Cecilia McDowall, which I performed in 2013 at its premier at Cricketty Mill in Gloucestershire.

We were very honoured to be asked to perform in such a stunning setting and Tatton could not have been a more welcoming host.

             Sir Tatton Sykes, Bart

New Georgian Opera will next be performing at The Circus Ball at Kensington Palace on saturday 25th April, in Worksop in June and for Bonsall Opera in late June.

Meeta and Oliver would like to thank New Georgian Opera's wonderful Secretary, Zuleika Parkin, and Tatton Sykes, Michael Crawcour and all the staff at Sledmere for such a marvellous time.



For more information on New Georgian Opera please go to www.newgeorgianopera.co.uk

For information on Sledmere please go to
http://www.sledmerehouse.com