“I really must refuse.”

Not exactly the words you’d expect to launch a musical tradition!

In the late 1800s, a student’s reluctance to perform solo inspired the beginnings of The Duet Club, a musical community that would shape Hamilton’s cultural life for generations.

Music teacher Ellen Ambrose brought students together to play for one another in homes and studios – and many became founding members of The Duet Club.

More than 100 years later, the music continues.