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| A Choral Celebration of Queen Mary at Old Royal Naval College |
The Chapel Choirs of the Old Royal Naval College and the Royal Hospital Chelsea are combining forces again in an historic commemoration of the life of Queen Mary II under music director Ralph Allwood and William Vann.
The programme debuted earlier this year at the Old Royal Naval College [see my review] and now returns on Thursday 26 September in the chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. As before, the programme includes music by John Blow and Henry Purcell for Queen Mary’s coronation, birthday, and funeral, along with George Frideric Handel’s Utrecht Te Deum, written for her successor to the English throne, Queen Anne.
The concert is part of the Chelsea History Festival which runs from 25 to 29 September 2024. The festival is a collaboration between three Chelsea neighbours, National Army Museum (founded in 1960 and in a building on the site of the old infirmary of the Royal Hospital Chelsea), Royal Hospital Chelsea (founded in 1682) and Chelsea Physic Garden (founded in 1673).
This year’s festival also features the launch of the Chelsea Heritage Quarter, which brings together four remarkable institutions, the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Chelsea Physic Garden and Cadogan Estates which has its origins in Sir Hans Sloane purchasing the Manor of Chelsea in 1712 and which was then developed by Sloane’s son-in-law the first Earl Cadogan in the later 18th century. The Chelsea Heritage Quarter aims to tell a unique story of London and Britain from 1660 to the present day.
The festival includes a wide variety of talks and lectures [see website] along with walking tours and a new exhibition in the Stable Yard of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The Stable Yard is an architecturally significant Grade II* listed building, designed by Sir John Soane when he held the post of Clerk of Works at the Royal Hospital from 1807 until his death in 1837. Soane built the stables between 1814 and 1817, and they remained in use until the 1960s when they were converted into workshops and offices. Thanks to a National Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the Stable Yard will open this autumn following a major restoration project. The Stable Yard includes an exhibition of the history and stories of the Royal Hospital, a new shop, cafe and a regular programme of events.
Information about A Choral Celebration of Queen Mary from the website.
