The Musick Cabinet's members form a range of ensembles, some of which give public performances. Scheduled appearances at events are listed on the "Diary of performances" page. Concerts, lectures and function music that we currently offer are listed on the "Performances offered" page.
Members are involved in many different fields of local music activity and most are multi instrumentalists. There is an emphasis on early music so several are also members of The Southern Early Music Forum (SEMF) and the National Early Music Association (NEMA). Interest in old and unusual instruments is catered for by membership of the Galpin Society and the Forum of Makers and Researchers of Historial Instruments (FomRHI). Links to these societies are on our Useful links page.
The Canterbury Waits play renaissance music form the time of the Plantagenets through to Cromwell. We meet every week. Please have a look at the Canterbury Waits Page.
Line-ups include:
four and five part crumhorn consort
two shawms, sackbut and curtal
two shawms, sackbut and bass shawm
two shawms, sackbut, curtal and great bass shawm.
two or three renaissance flutes, bass recorder and viol
three or four recorders and bass viol
four or five renaissance (wide-bore recorders)
three curtals (alto/tenor/bass)
great recorder consort including great bass and double bass renaissance recorders
Music includes:
renaissance dances by Susato, Praetorius, Phalese, Holborne, Attaignant
Parisian chansons by Claudin and contemporaries.
The Early Flute Consort are a group of three to six players of renaissance flutes. We like to think of it as a quartet with nine members! We meet on average once every two months to explore the rich renaissance repertoire. Please take a look at The Early Flute Consort page.
Baroque flute consorts meet regularly to explore the repertoire for two and three baroque (one-keyed) flutes. Strangely there is virually no repertoire for four baroque flutes although there is a set by Boismortier for five. We play at a= 415 (modern baroque pitch) or a=392 (Versailles pitch)
Trio Sonata groups utilise the harpsichords owned by some members. We are curreently exploring the repertoire for two baroque flutes, harpsichord and bass viol. Couperin, Lully and Marais are high on our agenda. This will be extended soon to cover the rather smaller repertoire for three flutes and continuo.
Henry 8ths flute and rebec consort. This seeks to re-create one of the household consorts of Henry 8th. We even know the names of some of the original performers.