QUEEN Victoria will take to the stage next week when Rachel Buckley’s Royal Harmony stage production starts its mini-country tour.
Gilbert and Sullivan stalwart Rachel, known for her regular appearances at Queen Victoria at Loddon events, has drawn on songs written by Prince Albert for his wife in the concert that has an elder Queen reminiscing on a meeting she and Prince Albert had with composer Felix Mendelssohn when he visited Buckingham Palace in 1842.
Rachel and members of the Dunolly Gilbert and Sullivan Society will perform the concert at Charlton’s Rex Theatre.
“The Queen’s diary entries show a merry time of music making and singing. Prince Albert was a talented organist and pianist who wrote many songs – including one sung at their wedding – and Queen Victoria had a pure and charming voice,” said Rachel.
The Charlton performance follows two shows in Melbourne with a fourth already planned for Queenscliffe.
“Critics have said Prince Albert’s music didn’t appear to be inferior to that of his more famous friend, and definitely deserves to be heard,” Rachel said.
“Most of the music in our Royal Harmony show was written by the Prince, with the rest by Mendelssohn and his older sister, Fanny. I hope Queen Victoria will be impressed.”