On the opposite side of the Saloon to the banqueting room gallery, the MUSIC ROOM GALLERY was also designed as a room for ‘repose and calm’ with flake white walls with gilt decoration. Guests would relax and listen to the piano. Again, decorative palm pillars help support the ceiling.
In the window is a rosewood grand piano inlaid with brass and was presented to the Royal Pavilion by Queen Mary. It is similar to the original piano that stood here. The other piano was commissioned by George IV and was made by Thomas Tomkinson. Costing £236 -5s it was twice the cost of standard top quality piano of the time. It is the most famous of his surviving works and was originally in the entrance hall.
The Music Room Gallery opens into the Music Room, another one of the splendid public rooms, along with the saloon and banqueting room. Musical entertainment was one of George’s passions and this room was designed to impress. It took nearly two years to create and was designed to be seen at night, with mirrors reflecting the light.
The immediate impression is of red and gold with wall panels with Chinese scenes of designs of bamboo, lakes and pagodas.The tall porcelain pagodas were specially made for George and are embellished with gilded bells.
At the far end of the room are organ pipes, all that is left of the organ.
The highlight of the room must be the wonderful painted lotus flower suspended from a central dome. The dome is lined with hundreds of plaster cockle shells and has small elliptical painted glass around the base, adding to the magical appearance. There are a further nine smaller lotus flower lights around the edges of the room.
The room was severely damaged by fire in 1975 and has been carefully restored back to its original glory. The carpet, chimneypiece and mirror frame are copies of the originals. The ceiling was again damaged during the great hurricane of 1986 when a stone ball from the top of one of the minarets crashed through the newly restored ceiling and embedded itself in the new carpet.
