The keyboard players on this album improvised preludes based on a ground from Christopher Simpson's 'Division-Violist' and the song 'Fortune my foe', reflecting the common 17th-century practice of improvisation.
Album & Artwork
The cover illustration for this album is a family portrait by Anthonis van Dyck, painted around 1618/19.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in October 2019 at the Notre-Dame de Centeilles church.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Thomas Mace, a 17th-century music historian, described consort music as 'Divine Raptures' that powerfully captivated unruly faculties and disposed listeners to 'Solidity, Gravity, and a Good Temper'.
Performer Biography
L'Achéron, the ensemble performing on this album, began assembling a body of instruments in 2012 to make their voyage into 17th-century British consort music as realistic as possible.
Instruments
The English virginal and organ heard on this album were built by Jean-François Brun and Dominic Gwynn, respectively, to recreate the distinct English sound world of the 17th century.
Instruments
The viols used in this recording were built by Arnaud Giral between 2011 and 2017, and are considered highly authentic modern recreations of a matched consort of viols.
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