Fretwork

Over the last three and a half decades, Fretwork has been celebrated as the leading consort of viols. They have explored the core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged. Their series of discs for Virgin Classics include CDs devoted to William Lawes, Henry Purcell, William Byrd, Matthew Locke, John Dowland, and Orlando Gibbons while their more recent work for Harmonia Mundi USA has produced three discs of J.S. Bach — The Art of Fugue, Alio Modo, and The Goldberg Variations — which have been exuberantly praised. They have also released discs of the earliest instrumental music (Petrucci); Sir John Tavener’s The Hidden Face; Thomas Tomkins; Alexander Agricola & Fabrice Fitch; Ludwig Senfl with Charles Daniels and two collaborations with the choir of Magdalen College, Oxford. Their recording of concert songs by William Byrd with Emma Kirkby has received particular praise.

In addition to this, Fretwork have become known as pioneers of contemporary music for viols, having commissioned over 40 new works. The list of composers includes many of the most prominent writers of our time: George Benjamin, Michael Nyman, Sir John Tavener, Gavin Bryars, Elvis Costello, Nico Muhly, John Woolrich, Orlando Gough, Sally Beamish, Tan Dun, Barry Guy, and Thea Musgrave, to name but a few.

In 2023 they commemorated the 400th anniversary of the deaths of both William Byrd & Thomas Weelkes in 1623 with a collaboration with The Kings Singers and new works written for them by Sir James MacMillan and Roddy Williams. The group now frequently presents programs consisting entirely of contemporary music, though most audiences find that the creative tension of juxtaposing old and new leads to a thrilling experience.

Another major area of interest is J. S. Bach. Initially, they performed and recorded ‘The Art of Fugue’ to rapturous notices; and more recently they have arranged many of his keyboard works, including ‘The Well Tempered Clavier’ and the ‘Clavierübung’, recently released on the HMU label under the title ‘Alio Modo’. Their arrangement of the Goldberg Variations was released in November 2011.