Meetings are where people who are interested in the viol get together to learn more and meet each other. They are a great place for newcomers to start as well as a forum for the latest research and ideas to be debated. There are always a number of different speakers and live music.

There are usually three meetings each year (normally in March, June and November), at least one of which is in central London. They are free to members, but a small charge or donation is requested from non-members.

Meetings are free to members, although donations are welcomed!

Meeting Point

I don't need to say much to introduce this meeting: one of my favourite themes - enjoy! John Milsom has published widely on sixteenth-century topics, with particular emphasis on the social history of Tudor music, and the works and musical thought of Josquin Desprez. He has also created (and continues to expand) the online Christ Church Library Music Catalogue, a major research project that addresses the contents and provenance history of the eighteenth-century music collections at Christ Church, Oxford. If you have one, you may want to bring a copy of 'Musica Britannica' vol. 22 (the 'Consort Songs' volume) for John's talk.

Loren Ludwig plays acoustic and electric viola da gambas in a range of styles. He is currently the recipient of a Mellon fellowship to conduct archival research in support of his dissertation on the social history of the viol consort.

Clare Griffel is the singer of baroque ensemble Musica Mundi, and has a busy singing teaching practice in Bristol. Also a keen viol player, she has led numerous Voices and Viols workshops for various Early Music Fora, and is voice tutor to the Norvis summer school. There is a large repertoire of music for voices and viols: some of this repertoire, such as the consort songs and verse anthems, was written specifically for viols, while madrigals were often published as 'apt for voices or viols'. Modern editions of madrigals edited for viol consort performance are also appearing regularly. Clare's talk will take an overview of this repertoire with the emphasis on performance, addressing questions such as balance, how viol players can 'play the words', and how to decide whether a vocal piece will 'work' as a viol consort. The talk will include illustrative examples, and some audience participation will be called for!