The Arts Society Chiswick's April Talk is 'Art in Music'


Sophie Matthew's lecture to include live demonstrations on replica instruments


Gaspard De Gueidan Playing Bagpipes By Hyacinthe Rigaud (left). Sophie Matthews (right)

March 28, 2025

This April The Arts Society Chiswick’s Talk is by Sophie Matthews on the subject “Art in Music”

The musician and lecturer plays a variety of early woodwind instruments such as shawm, rauschpfeife, crumhorm and recorder and has become one of the foremost players of the English border bagpipes instrument in the UK. She’s also one of a handful of British players of the baroque musette, an 18th century French bagpipe similar to the Northumbrian smallpipes. Sophie also makes instruments (she made her own baroque oboe) and works with respected luthier Tony Millyard on his flutes. Sophie is self-taught on all of her instruments.

Ms Matthews will explore the instruments in selected works and then will give live demonstrations on replicas of the instruments depicted.

So many of our historical references for musical instruments can be found in works of art. Not only can these windows into the past show us what the instruments looked like but also the social context in which they would have been played. Music and different instruments also play a strong role within symbolism in art.

The event is taking place at 8pm, on Thursday 10 April, at POSK on King Street in Hammersmith. Doors open at 7pm, as does the private bar. Non members are welcome for a payment of £15.

Olivia Freeman, Chair, The Arts Society Chiswick said, “This Talk sounds very entertaining, discussing ancient musical instruments found in works of art.”

Membership of the Arts Society Chiswick includes ten expert lectures on the second Thursday of every month (except August and December) and the opportunity to participate in tours, visits, social events and Special Interest Days. Half year Membership available from 1 July. For more information see the society’s web site. For more information see the society's web site.

The Arts Society Chiswick brings people together through a shared curiosity for the arts, to create opportunities for everyone to be part of a diverse community in which they can enjoy, learn about, participate in, and preserve the Arts and Cultural Heritage.

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