GENERAL INTEREST
‘ Chamber of secrets’ brings Cliveden’ s ghosts to life
As the glamorous Cliveden Estate in Buckinghamshire celebrates its 350th anniversary, a historic chamber located below the South Terrace is opening for the first time in 30 years, inviting visitors to help the National Trust solve the mystery of its past.
From the notorious 2nd Duke of Buckingham who built the first house for his mistress before fatally wounding her husband, to the focus of the Profumo affair in the 1960s, Cliveden has long been a place of scandal and intrigue.
In 2012, the National Trust began a five year, £ 6 million restoration project on the Grade 1 listed South Terrace to ensure its future.
As part of this project, the conservation charity removed damaged and peeling rendering from the walls of the chamber.
The discovery of hidden funnels in the ceiling and intricate brickwork that had evidently been adapted over time, furthered the mysteries surrounding the chamber’ s past.
However, the impressive acoustics of the domed space support the theory that the room was used for musical performances.
Now, contemporary sound artist Robin Rimbaud, alias Scanner, has been commissioned to create a musical installation that will encourage visitors to reflect on Cliveden’ s stories and the unique chamber, which continues to baffle National Trust experts.
Scanner said of his piece titled Ghosts:“ I wanted to create a work that draws people in, using music and sounds to paint an image of how Cliveden might have sounded over the last 350 years.
“ Music clearly played a key part in the sonic makeup of the building so I created a hypnotic background loop based on a piece of music by Vivaldi. This acts like a glue, holding the piece together, whilst elsewhere you hear elements of opera, Music Hall and even the audience awaiting a concert, chatting away, as the orchestra tunes up. I want people to feel as if at any moment a performance is about to start but is never quite revealed. I want them to see with their ears.
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