QuintEssential Sackbut and Cornett Ensemble
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Elisa is the fayrest Quene


In 1558 the hopes and dreams of the English people for a better society, after the ravages of the reign of Queen Mary, were intertwined with their aspirations for the new Tudor monarch Elizabeth. Over the next 45 years she was to prove herself to be one of the most able of the Tudors securing the affection of her subjects. Elizabeth I and her time have, in recent years, become prized historical commodities ripe for the sensational dramatisations of the silver screen. This is of course not without reason as she lived and ruled when England was experiencing the start of its growth from provincial nation into world empire. In this programme we aim to illuminate a small part of the rich tapestry that was Elizabethan music making, namely the music of the cornetts, sackbuts, the solo voice and the Queens own instruments, the lute and the keyboard.

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