King Charles finds his harpist behind the Wigmore Hall bar

King Charles finds his harpist behind the Wigmore Hall bar

News

norman lebrecht

August 05, 2024

The Wigmore Hall informs us that HM The King has chosen Mared Emyr Pugh-Evans as his official harpist.

Mared says: ‘It is an honour to be appointed as Harpist to His Majesty The King, it’s a responsibility I have not taken lightly, but one I’m committed to fulfilling wholeheartedly and I’m hoping to put my own personal stamp on the role.’

Wigmore Hall sais: ‘Mared also worked as part of our Restaurant & Bar Team – huge congratulations from everyone at Wigmore Hall!’

 

Comments

  • Elizabeth Owen says:

    Llongyfarchiadau Mared.

  • drummerman says:

    Norman, this old Yank is curious…why does His Majesty have an official harpist and does he have other “official” instrumentalists? I’m quite serious about this.

    • Barney says:

      If this position makes you curious, I’m not sure what you’ll make of the fact that King Brian Great-ears also has his own toothpaste squeezer.

      • John Borstlap says:

        The Royal Tooth Paste Squeezer is a serious position and should not be treated ironiccally. In the Handbook of Buckingham Palace Staff there are strict instructions to get through the process without damaging either His Majesty’s morning mood or His Royal Pyjamas.

        I quote:

        7. Sqeeze gently and slowly till a mass the size of a pea emerges from the opening.
        8. Carefully apply the paste on the Royal Brush, and be sure to choose the correct side of it, namely the hairy side, and not the backside with the little golden crown.
        9. Hand-over the brush with an elegant movement of the right arm (in case of motoric deficiencies, inquire at the Royal Tooth Sqeezer Training Center at the Mall for additional sessions).
        10. Avoid any suggestion of smiling or of not taking the exercise seriously; the Sqeezer is reminded of the historic palatial disturbances during the reign of Henry VIII in comparable circumstances.
        11. During the period that HRH is working on his teeth ritual, stand aside, slightly behind HRH, so that HSH may experience some sense of privacy (comparable with the Royal Nightly [REDACTED]).
        12. After HRH has finished his ritual, clean the brush and replace it with a new item from the large cupboard on the right, and dispose of the used one through the Palatial Waste Disposal Service in the east wing.

        • drummerman says:

          They really have to explain which side of the brush to put the toothpaste?

          • Bikeback says:

            It’s that devilishly difficult to understand British way with irony being deployed here. The whole thing is ‘tongue in cheek’ just to one side of the toothbrush!

      • Gordon Thompson says:

        So do I!

    • Emil says:

      It is a position that Charles instated as Prince of Wales, to demonstrate his commitment to Welsh culture. There’s also a Piper to the Sovereign, which is a position in the royal household.

      • John Borstlap says:

        According to the protocol that stems from 1691, the Piper to the Sovereign has to pipe him awake every night at 3 to see if he’s still alive, but that rule has been abandoned by Queen Victoria because it gave her head aches.

  • John Borstlap says:

    What a nice job that must be… it has not been seen since King Saul.

  • Eda says:

    I wrote my previous comment too quickly. P.O.W?
    Is Brian some well – known Prisoner of War?

  • Sam says:

    Is this a joke?

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