Pick and mix

This is our third type of session: ad hoc ensembles that you sign up for the night before (or sometimes on the day). You can try out a wide range of activities with different tutors – stick to one instrument and one genre of music, or range over all the musical periods and instrumental opportunities on offer!

Most sessions last around 1 hour and 20 minutes; some are in two parts; some popular ones might be repeated.

Below are the pick and mix sessions for 2025 to give you an idea of the range of musical activities on offer – nearer the time we’ll have details for 2026.

Ballads, Divisions and Grounds

For plucked strings, bowed strings, wind and voice

‘More than a mash-up.’ Exploring ways to fillet a ballad, season with divisions and serve on a complimentary, well-seasoned bed of ground bass. Precise repertoire to be announced in due course.

With Mary Tyers and Lynda Sayce

Gibbons: Cries of London (Part 1)

For mezzo-soprano and baritone voices, bowed and blown instruments

A contribution to the celebration of Gibbons’ 400th Birthday with a transcription (by Mary) of this humorous and spirited piece, for mezzo-soprano and baritone voice(s), bowed & blown instruments. Parts available in treble, alto & bass clefs as appropriate, check with Mary for range.

With Mary Tyers

Dowland Songs

For lutes, viols and voices

Two sessions on Dowland songs. Whilst these are self-contained (one song per session), it would be ideal for those attending the first to also attend the second, so that similar forces are available. 

With Lynda Sayce and Alison Kinder

Roman Ouvertures and Suites (two sessions)

For woodwind and strings

A chance to explore the more complex settings of Roman with wind parts.

With Anne Marie Christensen and Catherine Strachan

Using the fiddle to make accompaniments

For strings

Breath new life into a tune, lift a performance and push the boundaries of a tune with these techniques. 

With John Dipper

Learning by ear

For all instruments

Looking at how to pick up a tune in a session, or to do something meaningful if the tune is out of reach.

With John Dipper

OR

Ways in and tips for developing your learning by ear skills. We'll look at a couple of simple tunes and try out some easy tools for picking up the melodies by listening.

With Hazel Askew

Renaissance Dance Music

For all instruments

A selection of dances from sixteenth century French and Italian publications, suitable for all instruments, including bagpipes and hurdy gurdy. Easy reading of some lively repertoire, mostly in four part harmony.

With Tim Bayley

Facsimile reading

For all instruments

Back by popular demand: an opportunity to dip your toe into the world of original notation. Richard Thomas and Claire McIntyre will run a session focussing on Lieto godea (from 1587 Concerti) Giovanni Gabrieli (in 8 parts) reading facsimile alongside modern notation – for all instruments. (Knowledge of clefs preferable.)

With Richard Thomas and Claire McIntyre

English Popular Tunes c1600

for mixed consort

Melodies such as Go from my Window, Packington's Pound, Rowland, All ye who love Good Fellows etc were arranged by the likes of Praetorius, Haussmann, Lutkemann. Also included are settings of The Earl of Oxford's March and Hackney.

With Tim Bayley

Recorder Big Band

For all sizes of recorders

A magnificent three-choir ‘Magnificat’ by Zielenski (pub. 1611). At 8’ or octave doubled if enough tenor, bass, great bass and contra bass players OR Duo Seraphin in 3 choirs by Hassler (pub. 1591). A sumptuous motet setting of this heavenly text. At 8’ or octave doubled if enough tenor, bass, great bass and contra bass players.

With Rebecca Austen-Brown and Mary Tyers

To Arms!

For wind and brass

Join the Picards, Bourginons, Scaramella and L'Homme Armé for this foray into La Bataglia. Wind and brass essential for an exploration of familiar and less well known renaissance musical warfare.

With Tim Bayley

O Clap Your Hands

For all strings and voices

Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the death of Orlando Gibbons, we look at his eight-part anthem ‘O Clap Your Hands’, and maybe some other treats too!

With Anne Marie Christensen, Catherine Strachan and Alison Kinder

Renaissance Dance Music

For all instruments

A selection of dances from sixteenth century French and Italian publications, suitable for all instruments, including bagpipes and hurdy gurdy. Easy reading of some lively repertoire, mostly in four part harmony.

With Tim Bayley

Sea shanties

For voices

Come and learn a couple of sea shanties and have a go at adding harmonies.

With Hazel Askew

The “Art and Terror of Continuo” - the fun version (maybe 2 sessions)

For bass line and chord playing instruments (harpsichord, lute, etc) – but we also need top line voices or upper instruments!

Explore “The Continuo Principle” - the filling in the Baroque sandwich between melody lines and bass, and its development out of the Renaissance towards the Classical era. What is figured bass, and how to figure it out.

We will work on practical examples of music from Caccini and Campion to Vivaldi and Handel

With Graham Coatman

Renaissance Big Band

For wind, brass and strings

An exploration of music from the Renaissance, including works by Jakob Handl.

With Richard Thomas, Claire McIntyre and Tim Bayley

Palestrina

For recorders, winds and brass

Working on 8-part music by birthday boy Palestrina.

With Rebecca Austen-Brown, Richard Thomas and Claire McIntyre

Play chaos!

For woodwind and strings

We will “play chaos”, focusing on the opening movement of Les Élémens, a ballet score by Jean-Féry Rebel, composed 1737–38. It will be open to all strings and wind. It is great fun to play!

With Anne Marie Christensen and Catherine Strachan