afternoon tea concert cruises | The Piano Boat
Limited cruises will be running in May/June, and booking is now open!
Beautiful music and an experience for every occasion.
The world's most intimate concert hall
Indulge in afternoon tea with Prosecco, and an intimate piano recital.
1pm-5pm on select dates
£130 pp
Harefield, Uxbridge, UB9 6PE (meeting details below)
The Experience
Enjoy the tranquility of the canals, and elegant afternoon tea, and a carefully crafted classical piano recital in your own exclusive environment. The Piano Boat 'Rachmaninov' will be your venue - a unique canal boat built in 2020, and designed specifically for musical gatherings, holidays and events.
The Piano Boat is host to a brand new Steinway Model A grand piano, the ideal instrument for the venue, ensuring you always the finest musical experience.
We only take a maximum of 10 guests each cruise, so you will never feel over-crowded.
12:45 | Meet at The Piano Boat (please see below), safety briefing and boarding
13:00 | Welcome drink and departure
17:00 | Return to base and disembarkation
Please note that whilst we do our utmost to avoid cross-contamination during the food preparation processes, all food is prepared in an area where allergens are used and may be present. Food served cannot be guaranteed to be free of allergens. If you or one of your party suffer from a severe allergy, please consider this when booking.
After departure, we will cruise to a quiet location on the canal for the recital. Enjoy select classical favourites, and perhaps be introduced to some previously-unheard gems. Your performer and captain of the vessel, Masayuki Tayama, will personally guide you through the programme, and the musical element of the afternoon will last around 45 minutes.
Slowly cruising back to base, enjoy afternoon tea and Prosecco for the return journey.
The Pianist
'Not only to be considered as a fresh departure from other fine pianists of the present day, but daring... with a few touches of genius.'
A celebrated interpreter of Rachmaninov’s piano music, Masayuki Tayama has performed all of his Piano Concertos and is currently in the midst of a project to record and perform his complete solo works for piano, a monumental feat which few have attempted, and his recordings have been met with accolades and critical acclaim.
His international and radio performance debuts took place at the age of 10 in Amsterdam’s Concertgebow, and were the start of a highly successful career. He regularly performs in some of the country’s most eminent concert venues, and his debut appearance at Wigmore Hall sold out.
Now, you have the opportunity to hear him live in an intimate environment like no other, with a thoughtfully selected programme of works. A musician with a passion for boats, Masayuki will also be your captain on board The Piano Boat!
Experience the music up close on a superb instrument under the fingertips of a master.
Meeting Point
NEAR: The River Garden, Moorhall Road, Harefield, Uxbridge, UB9 6PE
Please ensure you are at the meeting point between 12:30 and 12:45. We regret that we are unable to wait for guests not arriving by the designated time.
Parking is available on the roadside (non-restricted), and you will receive full details including a map ahead of your booked cruise date. The nearest underground stations are Uxbridge and Northwood, then a bus or taxi will take you to the meeting point.
The Piano Boat cannot take responsibility for your vehicle or possessions, so please ensure you do not leave any valuables in the car.
Please note that access to the boat is not step-free and unfortunately is not suitable for wheelchairs.
The Chef
A Leith's-trained chef, Rhiana Henderson does all the catering for cruises single-handedly and on board. Everything is made from scratch using fresh ingredients, and the quality of her afternoon teas has been reviewed as being 'better than any of the major London hotels'.
'The boat is beautifully fitted, the tea was the best I have had in a long time (rivals Claridges or any London venue). Masa and Rhiana were perfect hosts, made us feel very welcomed.'
'...the afternoon tea was up there with the best I’ve ever had...'
'From start to finish it was an absolute delight! Rhiana and Masayuki skilfully segued from immaculate, delicious hosting (excellent, home-made afternoon tea lavished on each member of the audience with superb care and attention to detail), to a stunning and brilliant performance on the piano from Masayuki, to steering and managing the boat...Multi-talented, lovely people. We can not recommend the whole experience enough and are already thinking about who we can gift it to! Rhiana and Masayuki thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon that we will remember fondly always.'
