Polysembles
Our polysembles are larger, sometimes mixed, ensembles, including choirs, orchestras, a medieval band and a folk group.
Polysembles are usually the evening session. You can choose to sing or play in the same style as your progressive, or go for something completely different. The genres range from folk and medieval to renaissance and baroque.
Polysembles for 2026 are:
Marc Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704): ‘Concert pour quatre parties de violes’
This beautiful suite is one of very few that appears to have been written with an ‘orchestra’ of viols in mind! It has designations for ‘solo’ sections, which implies that in other sections there must have been more than one player on a part. It’s full of characterful dances – some lively and amusing, others elegant and beautiful.
We've discovered that the common French historical practice of doubling wind and strings suits it very well, so we're offering it as a polysemble for all strings (violin family and viols), recorders, and continuo lutes. For readers.
with Alison Kinder, Mary Tyers, Eric Thomas, Anne Marie Christensen and Catherine Strachan
The Wheel of the Year
A journey through the medieval year, tracing the music of harvest songs and winter feasts to spring celebrations.
For any instrument or voice, but the most suitable instruments for this type of music are of the softer range – strings, soft wind, plucked instruments, percussion. But we can vary texture, so if you have a choice of louder and softer instruments, do bring both!
For readers, but the opportunity to learn the tunes by heart if you prefer.
with Rebecca Austen-Brown and Tim Bayley
Folk Band
Using folk melodies to create ensemble arrangements, focusing on how to let the source material inform the arrangement
All instruments and voices welcome, learning by ear.
with John Dipper and Hazel Askew
Sacrae Symphoniae
Renaissance motets by Giovanni Gabrieli (c.1554–1612), and north European composers who studied with the two Gabrielis in Venice, adopting their style (such as Hassler and Schutz)
For voices, cornetts and sackbuts (readers)
with Graham Coatman, Richard Thomas and Emily Saville
