Ye sacred muses

Henry the eighth was certainly not the most modest of monarchs. The facts about his dissolute lifestyle, his hunger for power and his six wives are all well known …. but perhaps not his love for music. Did you know, for example, that he owned more than 80 recorders and composed music himself ? His daughter, Elizabeth the First, probably inherited this enthusiasm for music from him because, like her father, she gathered many composers from all over Europe to her court. In this programme, courtly music, traditional folk songs and dance tunes combine to produce a dazzling picture of a glittering epoch.

This programme works best when guest musicians (singer, lute) are included.