The working life of Museum of London

Ahead of tomorrow’s Pleasure Garden Ball, one of the musical acts for the evening take us on a stroll through the history of pleasure gardens and their musical links…

Imagine a place where the beautiful people gather to hear the latest songs performed by the most fashionable musicians on outdoor stages, where fancy dress events end in disorder and debauchery, there is dancing all night, and the ordinary folk don their finest to indulge in a bit of celebrity-spotting….

You may be forgiven for thinking that I am talking about Glastonbury, with Shirley Bassey and her diamante-encrusted wellingtons, or Kate Moss rocking a straw cowboy hat at the Isle of Wight Festival, but I’m referring to the 18th century pleasure garden, where princes, countesses, actresses and working people alike gathered to find refuge from the filth of the city and indulge in pastoral delights for the princely sum of a one shilling entrance fee.

My music group, Lady Georgianna (external link), have recently completed a tour performing music of the 18th century pleasure garden. We wanted to recreate the experience as far as possible, and found ourselves delving deeper and deeper into this fascinating frivolity as we compiled the programme.

Being seen on the scene in the pleasure gardens was an essential part of the social season, which also involved attending plays, concerts and events at which the wealthy socialised and young ladies hoped to find an eligible bachelor. Ranelagh Gardens in Chelsea was considered the more fashionable; Horace Walpole wrote that “You can’t set your foot without treading on a Prince, or Duke of Cumberland”. Clearly the ‘Made in Chelsea’ of its day!

Then, as now, dancing was an essential part or the entertainment, affording a rare opportunity to get close to the opposite sex. In keeping with the idea of Arcadian rusticity, Vauxhall Gardens featured maypoles in its grounds. English country dancing too, elevated to an art form in the 18th century, was very popular amongst all members of society.

The music of the early pleasure garden was initially provided by the songbirds that lived in the many trees, but by the 18th century, purpose built stages, or orchestras, were constructed in the gardens in which musicians performed. George Frederick Handel was a frequent patron of the pleasure gardens and, in 1738 a marble statue of Handel went on display in Vauxhall, one of London’s most famous pleasure gardens.

The famous musicians of the day performed in the pleasure gardens including the nine year old Mozart at Ranelagh. When researching our repertoire, many of the songs have inscribed on them the fact that they were performed by certain singers or actors at Vauxhall or Ranelagh even though the name of the composer might be missing. Not so very different, then, from the pop songs of today that are associated with the singer rather than the person that actually wrote them.

It’s nice to know that, although the pleasure gardens fell out of favour in the 19th century, their spirit is alive and well through events such as this the Museum is hosting and the many music festivals, large and small, that take place the world over. If only they still cost a shilling!

To book tickets to attend tomorrow’s Pleasure Garden Ball visit the Museum of London website here.