Penelope Cave presents ‘Lessons at the Pianoforte’ from the series, ‘Music’s Hidden Histories’.

The project, which has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Tatton Park Trust, is supported by Cheshire East Council and the National Trust as well as the University of Southampton. Project director Professor Jeanice Brooks and project manager Penelope Cave, devised the film scenarios with help from PGR researcher Katrina Faulds and recent PhD graduate Leena Rana. An 1822 Broadwood grand piano of the type originally found in Tatton Park’s lavishly decorated Music Room was specially moved in for the shoot. For the performance elements of the films, pianists Cave and Faulds were joined by undergraduate soprano Emma Bryant, and a series of special guests: dancing master Stuart Marsden (recently seen on BBC 2’s ‘Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball’) and the Pleyel Ensemble, led by pianist Harvey Davies.

The four short films will be broadcast on the Tatton Park website and used on mobile devices to enhance visits to the house. They will also be distributed through the National Trust for use in educational projects in other properties. The films are produced by the specialist music media company WashMedia, whose co-founder Steve Polydorou is a Southampton Music graduate.