Concerts in beautiful historic houses around the English countryside. Please read on and discover something of the history of these splendid places. Also below are directions, and details of dining and accommodation options.

Fawsley Hall
Fawsley, nr Daventry, Northamptonshire
Concert: A Musical House Party (1 February 2004) Gustav Leonhardt (18 April 2004)
Set in the heart of Northamptonshire, Fawsley Hall - ancestral home of the Knightley family - is the perfect venue to enjoy first class music. Concerts are performed in the intimate atmosphere of Fawsley's Elizabethan Great Hall. After each performance concert-goers have the opportunity to sample Fawsley's award-winning cuisine in the intimate atmosphere of Fawsley by candlelight. The musicians normally join diners, giving guests the chance to meet them and enjoy their company off stage. Or if you live a little further afield or would like to make more of an evening of it, why not stay overnight in one of the Hall's luxury bedrooms. You can take advantage of special room rates to stay in the historic wings of the Hall. Visit the Fawsley Hall website for more information or telephone 01327 89 2000 mentioning Classic Concerts in Historic Houses when booking.

Garsington Manor
Garsington, Oxford (picnics can be brought or ordered in advance)
Concert: Visitors to Bohemia (2 May 2004)
Famed for its summer opera season, Garsington Manor was once the home of Lady Otteline Morrell (wife of the Liberal MP Philip Morrell). Lady Otteline, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Bentinck, heir to the Duke of Portland, studied politics and history at Somerville College Oxford, and later began organizing meetings for important political and literary figures at her home at Garsington Manor. John Middleton Murry, D. H. Lawrence, Bertrand Russell, Aldous Huxley, Leonard Woolf and Virginia Woolf becoming amongst her close friends. Visit the Garsington Opera website.

Kelmarsh Hall
Kelmarsh, Northampton
Concert: Visitors to Bohemia 24 April 2004
The beautiful 18th-century Kelmarsh Hall lies at the heart of no less than 3,363 acres of gardens and parkland. The present hall, commissioned by William Hanbury (1704-1768), was completed around 1732, to designs by James Gibbs. Georgian in style, the Hall is composed of delicate brickwork with stone detailing to highlight the windows and pedimented door. A Palladian gem, Kelmarsh has been home to the Hanbury, Naylor and Lancaster families, each contributing to the evolution of this fine country house and its stunning gardens.