About

Saraband presents a unique evening exploring the music and stories surrounding our illustrious 18th Century residents, from Alexander Pope to Horace Walpole with the women - royal mistress Henrietta Howard and the actresses Kitty Clive and Peg Woffington who brought talent and gossip to our beautiful riverside Twickenham.

Saraband is a quartet of two baroque violins, including local resident Henrietta Wayne, a baroque cello, theorbo and baroque guitar, the ideal combination for domestic house music. The repertoire will include music by 18th Century giants Handel, Telemann and Corelli. Saraband will play popular tunes of the day linked to our colourful actresses as well as the biggest box office hit of the time, conceived in Pope's villa in Twickenham, The Beggars' Opera.

Twickenham Parish Church was the centre of the rural village of 'Twitenham' which grew to be one of the most desirable locations for country villas during the 18th Century, placed as it was within easy distance between Hampton Court and Richmond and Kew Palaces. This population explosion of the rich, famous and infamous was largely driven by the fame and architectural interest of the Twickenham Set, Pope, Henrietta Howard and Horace Walpole.