1860s Witley Court-inspired composition revived for estate event

A lost piece of music named after one of Worcestershire's grandest properties has been found and reproduced for an event at the estate.

The lost waltz, which was composed in honour of Witley Court in the 1860s, was rediscovered by English Heritage.

The sheet music for the 'Whitley Court Waltz', written by an otherwise unknown Birmingham musician named Robert Hoult, was unearthed by a historian at the Library of Birmingham.

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The piece was likely composed in hopes of attracting the attention of the Earl of Dudley, the wealthy 19th-century estate owner.

Witley Court, referred to as the 'Versailles of the West Midlands', was remodelled at a vast expense between 1855 and 1860 into a lavish Italianate palace, complete with an extravagant gilded ballroom and acres of gardens.

Steven Brindle, properties historian at English Heritage, said: "We know this piece of music was not a commission.

"If it was the name would have been spelt correctly and we would not have a dedication on the title page as we found in the sheet music.

"Hoult had The Whitley Court Waltz published by Joseph Williams, a leading music publisher in London, but in composing this was probably trying to attract an eminent patron to advance his career.

"Ultimately, it looks like it did not pull off as the name Robert Hoult has been lost to the archives of history until now."

The piece is a lively Viennese Waltz, believed to have been danced to in the Court's ballroom, despite the incorrect spelling of the estate's name in the title.

Musician Jerry Price has now reproduced the piece, which will be performed at the estate this weekend (June 29 and 30).

The exciting discovery has helped reveal a small fraction of the rich history associated with the estate.

Mr Brindle added: "Witley Court was the Versailles of the West Midlands in its heyday and a place that only a select strata of society would have got to experience.

"We’re delighted to have uncovered a small piece of its history by chance that we can now use to help our visitors better imagine the house's earlier time of glamour and splendour."