Lauren Scott

Queen Victoria's Parlour   Lauren Scott - harp Richard Ellis - narrator A delightful programme of relaxing and beautiful music for harp and poetry that would have been enjoyed in Queen Victoria’s time! Queen Victoria's Parlour is a 1 hour staged presentation in Victorian costume, transporting you back in time. The perfect entertainment after an afternoon tea or whilst savouring your after dinner coffee! Music performed by Lauren Scott on her stunning gold harp, includes works by Mendelssohn, Glinka and Queen Victoria’s harpist, John Thomas, whilst poetry readings by Richard Ellis include writings by Charles Kingsley, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Rudyard Kipling. Queen Victoria's Parlour is a new project for 2010 devised by Lauren Scott and Richard Ellis. Both Lauren and Richard are consummate performers and this is an accessible programme which is sure to delight audiences. Extracts from Queen Victoria'a Parlour filmed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2010

Richard Ellis Photo copyright: Matthew Seed

!! FOR PROMOTERS !! Concert and Cake Do you run a concert series but want to host one concert that's just a little bit unusual? Are you looking for afternoon entertainment that is a little bit different from the normal musical recital? Do you run a tea room or a historic building and want to stage a special one off event which can generate publicity? If you have the space for cabaret style seating then Queen Victoria's Parlour could be just the answer for you. You provide the tea and cakes, and we'll provide the staged entertainment. We do not need any electrical supply, we are self contained and need a space of 9' x5', and all we ask is that there is no waitressing during the entertainment which will last for just under 1 hour. This programme will work just as well in a small community hall, church, or special event in a stately home, as well as in a concert hall or theatre space. Whilst this programme is ideal for people to enjoy whilst sipping tea in a bone china cup and being transported back in time, the tea and cake is not strictly necessary. Queen Victoria's Parlour also works as a stand alone one hour concert programme.... although we are partial to a nice cake! A CD of the music and poetry from the Queen Victoria's Parlour is due for release Spring 2011.

Resources For Promoters: Click on the images above for high quality PNG images that will open in new browser windows

“ I was really quite shocked when I first read that Victorian ladies were encouraged to learn the harp over the piano, as it "set off" the line of their neck better. Whether the popularity of learning the harp in Victorian time was due to it being a wise investment by parents wishing to marry off their daughters is debatable, but there may well have been a strong element of truth in it! Certainly, once married it was not considered the done thing for women to continue to perform in public, and at the time Mendlessohn was quoted as being very disapproving of women becoming professional musicians. Victorian harp music is lyrical and typically florid, which does make you wonder how the Victorian ladies in their corsets managed it, but at the heart of all these pieces there are truly beautiful melodies, which is why they are still very much enjoyed today. The poetry has been especially chosen to cover a topic or theme suggested by the music, and in doing so our main aim is to present a flowing and most importantly, an entertaining programme which we hope will appeal to lovers of music and poetry alike and would also probably have been enjoyed in Queen Victoria's parlour. Lauren Scott ”

Sound Samples

Autumn by John Thomas The Last Rose of Summer (excerpt) The Green Eye of the Yellow God (extract)