​​In this 400th anniversary year of the death of Orlando Gibbons, come and explore the glorious sound-world of music for voices and viols. 

The verse anthem was already established by composers such as William Byrd, one of Gibbons's senior contemporaries at the Chapel Royal and possibly one of his early teachers, but Gibbons developed the genre into something really spectacular. He was a master of writing for viols on their own, and his choral 'full anthems' are glorious, so he must have loved combining his skills to create the verse anthem textures! In addition to his - perhaps better known - texts full of praise and faithfulness, Gibbons also published many pieces with profoundly secular, even cynical views on life and death. His wonderfully vivid setting of Walter Raleigh's text What Is Our Life gives us a glimpse of a very different side to the composer's character. We will explore his Second Service Magnificat in a setting for viols instead of organ. 

This open workshop is for singers and viol players alike. 

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About Alison Kinder

Alison plays with Chelys consort of viols where she enjoys researching, performing and recording programmes covering all aspects of consort music. Chelys have been thoroughly enjoying the Gibbons anniversary year - hosting a weekend festival in Oxford with several concerts, a trip to Christ Church library, collaborations with St John's College and David Bannister, and a day of talks curated by the Viola da Gamba Society. They have also taken the opportunity to work with singers to explore the full range of Gibbons's writing for voices and viols, including joining the Gesualdo 6 at the Cheltenham Festival, programmes with soprano Emily Atkinson, and a joint programme with soprano Gwendolen Martin and tenor David de Winter. Alison also has a particular interest in 'Renaissance' viols (early viols made with no soundpost) with The Linarol Consort, who play on copies of the earliest surviving viol made by Francesco Linarol in about 1540.

Alison has a great love of working with singers, and the affinity between the sound of the viol and the voice. She particularly loves performing with Musica Secreta, an all-female polyphonic ensemble specialising in the research and performance of music by and for early modern women. A keen teacher, Alison is a tutor on a number of Early Music courses including the Easter Early Music Course, Norvis, the Danish Renaissance Music Week, and she regularly leads workshops for the various Early Music Fora. She is co-director of Rondo Viol Academy, which runs weekend courses for players of all standards from Elementary to Advanced.​

Repertoire

Please note that choices are provisional, if time allows  

Gibbons Behold, Thou Hast Made my Days
Gibbons See, See the Word is Incarnate
Gibbons Magnificat from the Second Service
Gibbons What is our Life?
Gibbons Hosanna to the Son of David
Gibbons O Lord, in thy Wrath