The ballroom at Sandringham House is the largest and grandest room at the house, built and designed between 1883/1885 by Colonel Edis, the architect of the station hotels at Marylebone and Liverpool Street stations. Previously, grand social events and dances were given in the Saloon. When the Ballroom was completed in 1885, the Prince of Wales said  “I have I think, finished all my improvements here!”

Three glittering chandeliers made of Venetian glass hang from the ceiling, and each is lowered twice every year for restoration and cleaning, The chandeliers were previously at Osborne House and then at Buckingham Palace before Queen Mary herself decided that there was only one place for the chandeliers to hang - Sandringham.

The audience will enter by the Ballroom's own entrance and be greeted with a glass of wine. There will be some time to admire the Ballroom before the concert begins.

All members of the audience will be sent directions to the house, which of course, will be closed to the public for the winter.

The Programme:

HANDEL-HALVORSEN Passacaglia for Violin and Viola

ROSSINI Duet for Cello and Double Bass in D

SCHUBERT String Trio movement in B flat, D471

WALTON Lento from String Quartet in A minor

STRAUSS Metamorphosen (version for string septet)

All the performers are either current or former students from the Royal College of Music, of which His Majesty King Charles III has been Patron since the first anniversary of his coronation. Prior to that he was President of the RCM for 30 years.

Mabelle Young-Eun Park, violin

Olwen Miles, violin

Jamie Howe, viola

Jimena Barrio-Briones, viola

Niccolo Citrani, cello

Ben Matson, cello

Levi Andreassen, double bass