Early musical ensemble Musicke in the Ayre today features a vocal quartet made up of Rosalind Keefe, Helen Hill, Phil Neville, Chris Hall, accompanied by ensemble director Din Ghani on lutes and baroque guitar.
Today they present songs for one to four voices from two contrasting periods in musical history: the final flowering of the English Renaissance, and the bright beginnings of the Italian Baroque. Both feature music designed to engage, entertain, and enrapture in an era with no mikes or amps.
The legendary English lutenist-composer John Dowland visited Italy early in his career, providing a fascinating link between the two periods.
The English lute songs made famous by him and his contemporaries reached their pinnacle a decade or so before his death 400 years ago, while the new musical ideas that began to emerge in Italy around then led ultimately to what we now call Baroque music.
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Do come along to this Afternoon Music concert – you can enjoy some super music, meet your friends as well as maybe making new ones. Tickets are just £5.
And our Whistle Stop Café will be open if you fancy a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and Sasha’s cakes are more than delicious – what a lovely way to spend an afternoon. There will be a selection of tables and chairs set out in the hall for you to choose from on arrival.
Next Wednesday