Sallie Taylor - keeping the memory of Chapel Art alive

Please note this show was previously called 'Robin A Smith - Premier musical - Edward Lear' it is still the same show just an updated title.

Robin A Smith with the musical premier of his production,“How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear” - featuring, Matthew Fort. This is the premier of Robin’s musical journey through the remarkable life of Edward

Lear, his poetry and art - his obsessive, eccentric, sweet -natured & hugely talented life. This composition is full of humour and beautiful, enigmatic piano playing and

song. Having composed for artists such as Pavarotti and Andrea Boccelli you can be sure of an evening of spectacular melodies from Robin.

With composer/piano & vocals : Robin A Smith

Narrator/Edward Lear : Matthew Fort

Art works : Sallie Taylor

Robin A Smith is a composer, musician and orchestral arranger. He has loved Edward Lear’s poetry and drawings since he was a child, and this evening is the premier of his

show that seeks to explore the man behind his exotic, sometimes crazy, funny,and always entertaining work. Robin’s music brings many of Lear’s poems to life and

draws together so many parts of his troubled life and personality, while showing the unique and extraordinary man that he was.

Matthew Fort was Food & Drink Editor and restaurant reviewer for the Guardian for 15

years before working and presenting food programmes for ITV, Sky and the Good Food Channel and was a judge on The Great British Menu (BBC2) from 2006 - 2021. He has edited and written numerous books, (Rhubarb & Black Pudding, Eating Up Italy, Cooking by Numbers, Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons and Summer in the Island - An Italian Odyssey.) He was awarded Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year and Restaurateurs’ Writer of the Year several times over. He is a fascinating, charismatic man, a great story teller and bon viveur.

Sallie Taylor studied at Norwich School of Art and later printmaking at Gloucestershire Uni

and has a BA (Hons) in Fine Art. She ran Chapel Arts in Cheltenham and now works on

freelance music and art projects.