Saraband
Music at Kew Palace
A rare opportunity to hear the earliest surviving Georgian Chamber organ in the UK which is housed in Kew Palace.
Supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation
Before the bouts of mental illness suffered by George III, Kew held happy memories as a country retreat for the married couple and their many children. Charlotte brought two harpsichords with her when she came over to England aged 17 to marry the king. They both loved to make music together and hosted weekly concerts at their royal residences. George played the flute and the harpsichord as well as his beloved organ, which continued to give him consolation during his illness.
Saraband will play music that was popular at the time, including an overture by John Worgan, the organist at Vauxhall Gardens; a concerto by JC Bach, who was Queen Charlotte’s music teacher; and pieces by JJ Rousseau, Giovanni Bononcini, Handel and the 8-year-old Mozart, who played before the royals and accompanied the queen as she sang an aria.
Sat, 18 July 2026
Kew Palace, London
12:00pm
Free- ➕1 other performance
Full Event Details
Saraband is joined by organist Timothy Roberts in a programme of music that was known and enjoyed by King George III and his music-loving family, played on the king's own original organ.
Before the bouts of mental illness suffered by George III, Kew held happy memories as a country retreat for the married couple and their many children. Charlotte brought two harpsichords with her when she came over to England aged 17 to marry the king. They both loved to make music together and hosted weekly concerts at their royal residences. George played the flute and the harpsichord as well as his beloved organ, which continued to give him consolation during his illness.
Saraband will play music that was popular at the time, including an overture by John Worgan, the organist at Vauxhall Gardens; a concerto by JC Bach, who was Queen Charlotte’s music teacher; and pieces by JJ Rousseau, Giovanni Bononcini, Handel and the 8-year-old Mozart, who played before the royals and accompanied the queen as she sang an aria.
Venue Details & Map
Location
Kew Palace, London
Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond TW9 3AE
Other performances
In addition to the performance listed above, this concert will also be performed as follows:
Show past performances of this programme
