On the road with the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum
Wednesday 16 May 2018
| Mottisfont Abbey, Hampshire by Kate Jewell |
The ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum’s Roadshow returns next week with a pop up exhibition and events at the National Trust’s on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 May.
The specially curated exhibition will feature images of some of the most significant instruments in the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ collection accompanied by fascinating stories, the result of new research by the Museum team. The exhibition centres around the idea that ‘Music is Creation’ and will be a sneak-peak of some of the highlights that will be on display in the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum’s new home, currently being built as part of the project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Mottisfont Abbey was the childhood home of organologist and keyboard collector Raymond Russell (1922 – 1964), whose collection is now housed at the University of Edinburgh. A special talk given by ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum Curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni will explore the fascinating historic keyboard instruments in the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ's collection, including the earliest known stringed keyboard instrument, the clavicytherium c 1480.
| Clavicytherium, Anon, South German c 1480 |
The ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum’s visit to Mottisfont Abbey will also feature a concert of historical music performed on harpsichord and baroque violin by ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ musicians Abel Balazs and Ilaria Macedonio. The musicians will be volunteering at the pop-up exhibition and sharing their knowledge of the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s musical treasures with visitors.
The exhibition offers visitors the chance to experience the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s collection whilst the Museum building is closed for redevelopment. Lydia Cracknell, Museum Learning & Participation Officer at the ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, says: ‘Having previously taken our Roadshow to the Southbank Centre for a family trail, this exhibition at Mottisfont Abbey is the first in a series of exciting opportunities to preview the concept of the new ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum with audiences. We can’t wait to share our most significant objects and hear our visitors’ thoughts!’
The ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum’s exhibition and events at Mottisfont Abbey are free of charge and will run as drop-in sessions. Please visit the for more information.
The ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ Museum Roadshow will continue on tour across London and the South East until the end of 2019 and includes pop-up exhibitions, activities, concerts and more. For further information and enquiries around new partnerships, please contact Lydia Cracknell at museum@rcm.ac.uk.
