Small Rehearsals and Recitals
Music, reading, movement. A butler quietly prepares the room.
About Small Rehearsals and Recitals
A small rehearsal or recital is a use of the antique Manor of Queen's Butler The Studio for practising and presenting music, readings or movement. The Manor is reserved for one party of up to six, and a butler takes care of everything from reception to the placing of chairs and the serving of tea.
Even with an audience of one, the stage is set.
A small recital is private time in which performer and audience face one another at close quarters, taking in every detail of voice, sound and gesture. Once the double doors close, the Manor belongs to your party of up to six alone. A chair before the reader; a light at the musician's hands. The butler arranges the room to receive you, keeping an eye on the distance from the furnishings.
Because performer and audience are so close, even a breath or the turning of a page carries. Gather around the sofa in the Fireplace Room; turn the chairs to face one way in the Dining Room; set reader and listener at an angle in the Study. The backdrop is chosen for the piece and the party, and the whole, from the hush before the start to the last lingering note, is shaped as a single scene.
Both male and female butlers are in residence. Please tell us at booking the roles you would like: reception, opening and closing the doors, placing chairs and lights, serving tea. The Manor is run by the Japan Butler Association. The butler does not intrude on the performance itself, but prepares one step ahead so the performer can concentrate and the audience can take their seats at ease.
Compare rooms and preparation by the kind of performance
| Use | Suitable rooms | What the butler arranges | What we ask before booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Dining Room, Fireplace Room | The direction of the chairs, the distance between player and listener, light for the score and the hands | Kind of instrument, volume, playing time, equipment to be brought |
| Reading | Study, Fireplace Room | The reader's seat, the listeners' seats, light on the page, the timing of the doors | Party size, length of the piece, any intervals, whether it is to be recorded |
| Movement | Dining Room, gallery | The area of movement, chairs and props, the audience's seats, the distance from the furnishings | Start and end points, the space required, trains and sleeves, whether it is to be filmed |
| A small recital | Chosen from the Manor to suit the purpose | Reception, guidance before the start, the doors, serving tea, seeing guests out | The programme, the number attending, wishes for sound and lighting, the position of anyone recording |
Choosing a room means deciding at the same time not only the kind of performance but the audience's line of sight, the position of anyone recording and the way to the door. We also ask which furnishings should stand behind the performer, and where you will wait before the start.
Four rooms to choose from, to suit voice, sight and movement
| The Study | A room of leather-topped desk, black leather chairs and bookcases. Suited to scenes that draw the eye to the hands: a solo reading, rehearsing lines, movement at a desk |
|---|---|
| The Fireplace Room | A room gathered around a wine-red sofa and a mantelpiece. Suited to readings at close quarters with the listeners, and to exchanging impressions after a small recital |
| The Dining Room | A room with a yew table 2,286 mm long and its chairs. Suited to aligning chairs to make an audience, placing props on the table, and several people performing in turn |
| The gallery | A room where the double doors, some 2,480 mm high, and the 155 cm hall clock form the axis of sight. Suited to checking the direction of a walk or a standing pose, and to beginning a recital from the moment the doors open |
| Conditions for sound | Please do not assume soundproofing; tell us before booking the instruments, equipment, expected volume and the hours in which sound will be made. We hear your wishes and advise which instruments, volumes and hours can be accommodated |
At close quarters, every expression in the voice carries.
Arranging a room to carry the voice to a small audience means relying not on volume alone, but on bringing the performer's face, page and hands into the audience's line of sight. In the Study, reader and listener at an angle; in the Fireplace Room, gathered around the sofa; in the Dining Room, chairs facing one way. The butler leaves a way to the door and places the seats so that no one's view is blocked by another.
For music, please tell us in advance the kind of instrument, whether the sound is acoustic or through equipment you bring, the number of players and listeners, and the hours in which sound will be made. The Manor holds antique porcelain, silver and clocks. The butler checks the distance from the furnishings and goes through with you where scores, chairs and equipment might be placed.
For a reading, a light is placed at the reader's hands and anything unnecessary is removed from the listeners' view. For movement, we ask about start and end points, the direction of travel and the width required including trains and sleeves. If you wish to keep a record, please bring your own recording equipment or camera.
The butler prepares the doors, the chairs, the lights and the recording, in that order
Welcoming at the door
The butler greets each guest with a bow, takes their coats and bags, and shows them to their seats.
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Arranging chairs and lights
We place them after checking the performer's position, the audience's line of sight and the distance from the antiques.
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Helping prepare a recording
If you are recording with your own equipment, camera or smartphone, we check with you which furnishings will appear in frame and where to stand.
Read morePurpose, sound, room and programme, settled in five steps
Tell us the purpose
Through the form, let us know whether it is music, reading or movement, the number of performers and audience, whether there is to be a recital, and your preferred date and time.
Confirm sound and what you will bring
The butler checks what is coming into the Manor: instruments, sound equipment, recording or filming equipment, attire and props.
Choose the room
From the Dining Room, Study, Fireplace Room and gallery, we choose the place that suits how the voice carries, the movement and the view. The distance between chairs and furnishings is checked at this stage too.
Share the programme
We share the start and finish, any intervals, the order in which several performers appear, and when the doors are to open. We separate the moments when the butler speaks from those when he waits in silence.
Check positions on the day
The butler welcomes you at the door and makes a final check of chairs, lights, equipment and the area of movement in your attire. Please check sound and recording yourself from the actual positions.
What the butler provides
- The Manor reserved for one party of up to six, including performers, audience and anyone recording
- One butler in attendance: reception of guests, taking coats and bags, showing guests to their seats
- Arrangement using the Manor's chairs and props, light for the hands, and a clear way to the door
- Tea served before the start and at the close. The Manor does not provide meals
- Checking positions for recording with your own equipment, camera or smartphone
What needs confirming in advance
- Use involving loud sound, which instruments may be played, volume limits, and the Manor's sound insulation are confirmed in advance
- Use after 9 pm, and the hours in which sound may be made, are confirmed in advance
- Naked flames, equipment requiring power, and staging that touches the furnishings are confirmed in advance
- Moving the antique furnishings yourselves, or leaning equipment against them
- Using the Manor unattended. During the performance the butler waits at a distance within the same room
QMay I bring an instrument?
We advise once we know the kind of instrument and its volume. Please tell us before booking the specific instrument, the playing time and whether sound equipment is involved, and we confirm individually whether the instrument and volume can be accommodated.
QCan a reading be recorded, or a recital filmed?
You may use your own recording equipment, camera or smartphone. The butler does not operate the equipment, but arranges chairs, lights, the backdrop and where the person recording stands.
QHow many people can attend?
Up to six. Please tell us the number including performers, audience and anyone filming or recording. The butler arranges the direction of the chairs and the way through to suit the numbers and roles.
QCan I use the Manor to practise, without a recital?
Yes. We welcome its use as a quiet place to work through music, a reading or movement. The butler arranges the room as you wish and waits at a distance within the same room. Even with no plan to perform for anyone, you may consult us about recording your movement or voice.
QIs the Manor soundproofed?
We do not accept bookings on the assumption of soundproofing; conditions for sound are confirmed individually. Please tell us before booking the instruments, equipment, expected volume and hours, and we advise what can be accommodated.
QMay I bring attire and props?
Yes. Please tell us the range of movement including trains and sleeves, and the size and placement of props. Anything that might touch the antique furnishings, or that involves a naked flame, is confirmed in advance.
About using The Studio
- The manor is never let unattended. A butler is present for every booking, and keys are not handed over
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. We do not provide meals
- Please use the antique furnishings under the butler's guidance. The armour, hall clock, porcelain and silver are handled by the butler
- Please consult us in advance about loud sound or the use of naked flames
- Prices shown include tax
You may also wish to read
For that one note, that one passage, we prepare the Manor.
Tell us the purpose, party size, instruments or equipment, and your preferred date and time. A butler will confirm the conditions for sound and how the rooms may be used.