In the sylvan suburb of Elmstead Woods, South London there’s an arts-and-crafts villa, built by Robert Whyte, filled with the evocation of a family who loved music.

The Whyte sisters played quartets and eminent musicians such as Sir Adrian Boult and Paul Tortelier were honoured guests.

The villa has since become known as the Ripley arts centre for the borough of Bromley. On the 8^th of June this year we attended a harpsichord concert performed by long-time friend Gilbert Rowland.

With his impeccable technique and sensitivity Gilbert presented a program which included suites by Handel and sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, Matheson and Soler.

Gilbert Rowland (whose father was second in command to the Viceroy of India under the Raj) was born in Glasgow but now lives in London. His teachers included Fernando Valenti and Millicent Silver and his first recital took place at Fenton House, which I have described at https://longoio3.com/2017/10/26/harpsichord-heaven-in-hampstead/

Gilbert Rowland has, besides a distinguished career as soloist, an equally illustrious one as a recording artist. He established Keyboard records in order to record all of Domenico Scarlatti’s 555 sonatas, or ‘esercizi’, written for Maria Bárbara who became queen of Spain in 1746. In addition, Gilbert has recorded all Antonio Soler’s sonatas in a highly praised series for Naxos. Other recordings include harpsichord works by Handel Albero, Rameau, and Mattheson. I have several of these recordings and the Soler, in particular, blossoms into extraordinary life under Rowland’s amazing touch.

Gilbert’s harpsichord was built after an 18^th century French model (Pascal Taskin) by Andrew Wooderson of Bexley, one of the increasing band of supremely crafted early instrument makers in England.

The concert was held in the delightful music room the Whyte family added in the 1920’s.

It was an absolute pleasure to hear Gilbert Rowland again after so many years as these excerpts taken from the evening’s performance demonstrate:

n        b/