The Morley Consort

A 'Morley consort' - referring to sixteenth-century English composer Thomas Morley’s penchant for mixing instrument families - is the term given by early German organologist Praetorius' to describe just such a ‘broken’ consort.  

Drawn together by a desire to explore radical historical practices within early music, each member of the Morley Consort brings their individual passion to create a holistic approach to their performances. Their interests include: the experimental reconstruction of sixteenth and seventeenth-century bows and instruments, historical rehearsal practices and music as a medium for sociality, music within its context and underrepresented repertories, and historical pedagogical, performance and notational practices (such as of rhetoric, ornamentation, solmisation and tablature). They enjoy sharing the results of their research into these topics in concert settings, through musical and verbal engagement. 

By combining applied research, craftsmanship and a desire to question established historical performance norms, the ensemble aims to be at the cutting edge of the next generation of the historical performance movement, using techniques and practices gleaned from primary sources and academically-rigorous research to bring exciting, hitherto unexplored sound-worlds to life for their audiences. 

Sophia Mücke (violin/viola)
Madison Marshall (violin/viola/viola d’amore/vielle)
Tess Roberts (assorted viols/violone)
Jude Chandler (viol/violone)