June 2018



Musical Mellerstain



There has always been a rich appreciation of music by the family at Mellerstain across the centuries, but certainly none greater than that of Sarah, Dowager Countess of Haddington (1903 -1995) who was a driving force behind the first Edinburgh International Festival.

Her work in helping to steer the Festival, which started in 1947, through its early years received praise throughout Britain. Indeed, it was her love of all kinds of music which led to her involvement in the Festival Committee which she served on for 14 years.

Lady Haddington was born in Montreal and she met her future husband George, the 12th Earl of Haddington, while he was serving as an ADC to the Governor-General of Canada. They were to marry in 1923 and settle down at the family home at Mellerstain.

Away from music and her extensive work with the Edinburgh Festival, she also managed to fit in fund-raising work with the Royal British Legion Scotland. She became President of the women's section in 1939 and was also to become a driving force in its work for many years. During the war, Mellerstain became an emergency military convalescent hospital and soldiers from Canada, Britain, Poland and Australia were welcomed to the house and its grounds. The soldiers never forgot the kindness they received and many of them, particularly Australian and Canadian, kept in touch through the years.



After World War II, Lady Sarah decided that the Dining Room should be used for musical performances, hence its new name ‘The Music Room’. You can imagine the sound of music played on the Steinway piano drifting out of open windows on a summer’s evening from the classically trained Countess.

Being a classically-trained pianist, she loved Chopin but an indication of her wide-ranging musical taste was that the Rod Stewart song, Sailing, was a particular favourite of hers!

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Instrumentally Mellerstain



Of course, music has always played an important role at Mellerstain, as you will see from the wonderful collection of musical instruments and furniture that can be found throughout the house.


The Square Piano, in the Small Drawing Room dated 1808 and built in London by John Broadwood & Sons Ltd.


*John Broadwood piano manufacturing history dates to the eighteenth century and are reputedly the oldest piano company in the world. He was born 6 October 1732 and christened 15 Oct 1732 at St Helens, Cockburnspath in Berwickshire, and grew up in Oldhamstocks, East Lothian. He inherited his father James Broadwood's profession, of a wright or carpenter/joiner, and in 1761 walked from Oldhamstocks to London, almost 400 miles, where he worked for the harpsichord maker Burkat Shudi. Burkat Shudi died in 1773, and John Broadwood took control of the company from his brother-in-law in 1783. In the same year, he patented improvements in the piano, particularly the brass under-damper that made the square piano much more stable, and the English double action.1784 By 1784 he was making more pianos than harpsichords, he sold 38 harpsichords, and 133 pianos, having increased production ten times in twelve years.


Another in The Great Gallery, a mahogany Square Piano, English Broadwood, from about 1780 to 1790.



In the Music Room, the chair to the left of the piano is a small-grained rosewood Music Chair with a lyre splat back, designed for a Clàrsach or small harp is Regency and by James Mein of Kelso.

This was described by John, 13th Earl as “the naughty chair”, as he was made to sit on it as a child, when naughty!

* James Mein, Roxburghe Street Kelso. The Mein family are recorded cabinetmakers in Kelso from 1784- 1851. The main stay was James Mein the Elder and when he died in 1830 his nephew also called James Mein took over the business until it went bankrupt in 1851. They had many important patrons including the 5th and 6th Dukes of Roxburghe for Floors Castle and the Earl of Haddington for Mellerstain.

The piano in the Music Room, this walnut-cased boudoir Grand Piano is by Steinway, Model III dated 1920. This piano was of course owned by Sarah, 12th Countess.

The winged Spinet in the Drawing Room was built by Charles Hayward in 1683. One of only twenty surviving 17th century spinets and eight of these are by Hayward. Ebony naturals with white sharps, 4 octaves plus 3 notes.

In the Great Gallery, the Bagpipes in Stewart tartan reputedly came from Culloden Battlefield.

And in the Stone Hall, the Silver State Trumpet is from the Royal Horseguards.

Classical music evenings

We hope that you have enjoyed this very musical journey around Mellerstain and we are sure you will agree that it is very fitting that you can still enjoy classical music evenings here in the Music Room with the Borders Music and Arts Society.

Each concert is an intimate occasion, with seating for up to 80 guests. The Music Room’s acoustics are excellent in all respects, perfect for concerts of classical chamber music performed by soloists and small ensembles. It is, as many past performers have noted, exactly the kind of setting that Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Chopin, Debussy, Poulence and all great chamber music composers would have had in mind when they picked up their pens! Guests are invited to join the artistes for a buffet supper and a glass of wine following each concert.

As Sarah, 12th Countess might have said herself; surely there can be no better place to enjoy an evening of classical music than in the Music Room at Mellerstain alongside her beloved Steinway Grand Piano.








Mellerstain House, Gordon, Scottish Borders TD3 6LG
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Tel: 01573 410 225


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