Operatic music of Royal court masque balls is being brought back to life by a group of players and singers led by Liz Kenny, Head of Early Music and a leading lute player.
Liz Kenny will perform A Masque of Moments with her ensemble Theatre of the Ayre at the Salisbury International Arts Festival (7.30pm, 3 June) at the Italian Church in Wilton (St Mary and St Nicholas).
The concert marks the culmination of a decade-long research project into the now rarely performed music of the ‘masque’ – a form of lavish, spectacular courtly entertainment which flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries, involving music, dance and theatre.
Liz says:
“There are very few complete scores in existence of this kind of music from this period. My research has concentrated on how the music may have been arranged for the singers and different instruments involved in performances of the era – examining how they interacted and played alongside each other. Our performance brings these elements together and promises to be a unique, colourful and dramatic experience in a striking setting.”
A Masque of Moments evolved from a research project which began in 2005 and received further funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in 2014. This helped establish and support the group Theatre of the Ayre, which specialises in 17th century music.
For more information about the Salisbury International Arts Festival here.