At the center of the concert is the outstanding cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and works that highlight the versatility and radiance of English music through the centuries. Edmund Finnis' "Hymn", originally part of his string quartet "Aloysius" and arranged here for string orchestra, is inspired by William Byrd's setting of the hymn "Christe, qui lux es et dies". The music reflects the rising and setting of sunlight and combines the spiritual depth of the 16th century with Finnis' own musical language. With his cello concerto - a European premiere - Finnis explores the colorful range of expression of the cello in connection with a lively orchestral sound. William Lawes' "The Sunrise", a work from the English Early Baroque, captures the beauty and symbolism of a sunrise. Arthur Bliss' "A Colour Symphony" is finally inspired by the symbolic meanings of different colors. Here, musical and visual layers merge into a multifaceted interpretation of color and sound. Concert as part of the Dresden Music Festival.

EPSG:4326

 Symphony Concert The Explorer Kanneh-Mason - Dresden Philharmonic - Manze

Palace of Culture

Purcell lived in a world shaped by the English Civil War, where tales of rebellion against rulers captivated audiences. His suite for Aphra Behn’s play Abdelazer accompanied one such story.

Music for Rebels and Royalty

Royal Academy of Music

"...please obediently notify the departure to England" Baroque music from Germany and the Kingdom

Bochum Baroque

Anneliese Brost Musikforum Ruhr

A legendary figure in the establishment and development of the Early Music movement, Jordi Savall has contributed as much as any individual to the current popularity of works from the distant past. He brings with him the ensemble he founded 50 years ago, and which retains the sheer vitality and explorative excellence that has marked his entire career. The programme celebrates a tradition of consort music that lasted for two centuries and traversed many countries – with English composers notable for their prominence.

Jordi Savall director, treble viol; Hespèrion XXI

Wigmore Hall

Jordi Savall director, treble viol; Hespèrion XXI Book now

Ahead of two performances at Wigmore Hall, one of the most exceptional figures in today’s music world, Jordi Savall, with Hesperion XXI the ensemble he founded 50 years ago, brings Irish audiences a rousing programme of Fantasies, Battles and Dances. The programme performed by these captivating artists celebrates the golden age of European Consort Music that lasted for two centuries and traversed many countries – with English composers notable for their prominence. Passion and creativity with world-class scholarship guaranteed!

Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Wigmore Series Dublin

Royal Irish Academy of Music

Departmental Recitals showcase performance departments through its students. Featuring various students and repertoire, and curated by the faculty, performances in this recital highlight SFCM programs and the wide range of study.

Guitar Department Recital

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

This programme offers a rare and wonderful taste of music by some of England’s greatest composers, including Orlando Gibbons and William Byrd. The repertoire is sublime and often strange, and is the musical equivalent of a fragile Vermeer portrait, combining exquisite intimacy with enigmatic melancholy.

Resounding Shores: Ye Sacred Muses

One of the most sought-after countertenors of our time, Tim Mead is constantly busy in the opera house, the concert hall and on the recital platform, bringing his delicate artistry to bear on a wide range of music from the Baroque to the present day. Here he joins with the Mexican lutenist for a programme of English songs from the late Renaissance period.

Tim Mead countertenor; Sergio Bucheli lute

While Shakespeare was defining English poetry and drama, Dowland was doing the same for English song. After Dowland, the influence of the Italians led to the magnificent achievements of Henry Purcell, arguably the greatest English composer of all time. GRAMMY-winning lutenist Stephen Stubbs, soprano Danielle Reutter-Harrah and violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, explore the golden age of English song through works by John Dowland, William Lawes, Henry Purcell and others—where time may indeed stand still.

Time Stands Still: English Lute Songs

St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church (Corona del Mar, CA)

A glance at Fretwork’s copious discography reveals the scope of its musical interests and appetite for exploring the glories of the viol consort repertoire. It is joined by a cast of close colleagues and friends to celebrate its 40th anniversary at Wigmore Hall with a programme that reaches back to the consort music of Dowland, John Jenkins and William Lawes and forward to works by Sir George Benjamin and Silas Wollston. ‘Fretwork is the finest viol consort on the planet’, wrote the London Evening Standard, a view endorsed by sage critics worldwide.

Fretwork; Sir George Benjamin conductor; Susan Bickley mezzo-soprano; Iestyn Davies countertenor; Ian Bostridge tenor; Silas Wollston organ

The Royall Consort of King Charles I was at the cutting edge of 17th century music, and today it lives again with Academy of Ancient Music.
King Charles I was a connoisseur of the visual arts, but he had exquisite taste in music, too, and the brilliant young composer and courtier William Lawes flooded the Stuart court with some of Britain’s – and Europe’s – most innovative (and ravishing) sounds.

The Royall Consort

University of Cambridge

Milton Court Concert Hall

The Royall Consort of King Charles I was at the cutting edge of 17th century music, and today it lives again with Academy of Ancient Music.

William Lawes

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 1, 2026

Fretwork; Sir George Benjamin conductor; Susan Bickley mezzo-soprano; Iestyn Davies countertenor; Ian Bostridge tenor; Silas Wollston organ · Wigmore Hall

21 - 22 Apr, 2027

The Royall Consort · Academy of Ancient Music

Apr 22, 2027

The Royall Consort · Barbican Centre

Past events

May 23, 2026

Symphony Concert The Explorer Kanneh-Mason - Dresden Philharmonic - Manze · Dresdner Philharmonie

Mar 1, 2026

Music for Rebels and Royalty · Royal Academy of Music

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