^{FIRST PUBLISHED 18 APR 2026}

New from Musical & Amicable Society, directed by Martin Perkins, Fiddlers Three presents an astonishingly varied cross-section of music associated with Charles II’s ‘Private Musick’, one of several groups of musicians working at the English court in the 17th century. According to biographer Roger North, Charles had an ‘utter detestation of Fancys’ and the period saw the decline in consort music for viols and winds, and the emergence of the violin as the string instrument of choice.

Supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation, Fiddlers Three includes music by Purcell (the thrilling Three Parts upon a Ground from 1678), Jenkins and Finger, but also little-known gems by Preston, Baltzar, Mell, Pietkin and Isaack, and a brilliant set of variations on La Folia by Nicola Matteis.

^{Matteis: Ground on ‘La Folia’ | Musical & Amicable Society}

‘In preparing this recording, we have sought to achieve historical performing conditions as closely as possible,’ says Martin Perkins. ‘Pitch remains a contentious issue, often dictated today by the availability of suitable replica instruments, while in the 17th century it varied widely – even within a single city. Surviving domestic consort organs typically lie between A=440 and A=465, with only a few lower, and rarely as low as the modern “Baroque pitch” of A=415. The flexibility of string instruments – violins, theorbo, guitar, harp, viol – meant that musicians of the Private Musick would routinely adapt to different pitch contexts, whether in theatres, churches, or alongside wind instruments. Our choice of A=440 offers a bright, vibrant sonority and a fresh perspective on this repertoire.’

^{Purcell: Pavan in G minor, Z752 | Musical & Amicable Society}

The ensemble has taken a flexible, historically informed approach to instrumentation, reflecting both the diversity of continuo practices and the range of available resources in 17th-century ensembles. Perkins explains: ‘Many Oxford sources for this music include multiple continuo lines, suggesting the use of more than one chordal instrument. We have therefore embraced a rich continuo team of harp, theorbo, guitar, organ and harpsichord alongside the bowed strings. Iconographic evidence, such as the Italian harp depicted in The Cabal, has informed our approach, encouraging a varied palette of sound. The guitar is included for Matteis’s Ground, reflecting his London treatise, Le false consonanse della musica (c. 1680). We also use a newly-built consort organ inspired by the Italian/English organo di legno. Its narrow-scaled wooden pipes produce a sweet, supportive tone, encouraging a lighter, less chordal style of accompaniment akin to the written-out textures found in contemporary anthems, services, and Jenkins’s viol consorts.’

^{Jenkins: ‘Air’ from Fantasia Suite No. 4 in A minor | Musical & Amicable Society}

PERFORMERS
Musical & Amicable Society
Anna Curzon violin
Kate Fawcett violin
Catherine Martin violin
Jonathan Rees bass viol, bass violin
Aileen Henry triple harp
Lynda Sayce theorbo, guitar
Martin Perkins harpsichord, organ, direction

TRACK LIST
Purcell Three Parts upon a Ground
Jenkins Fantasia Suite No. 4 in A minor
Preston: Suite for Harpsichord in G
Anon. Divisions on ‘I am the Duke of Norfolk’
Baltzar Pavan in C
Mell: Suite for solo violin in scordatura in D minor
Purcell Pavan in G minor, Z752
Finger Sonata IX a tre in D, Op. 1
Anon. Two pieces for guitar (Elizabeth Cromwell Guitar Book)
Matteis Ground on ‘La Folia’
Simpson Improvised divisions on a ground in F
Pietkin Sonata in D minor
Isaack Ground in A minor
Matteis Ground in D minor

‘Fiddlers Three’ is available to purchase on the Barn Cottage Records label and to stream on major platforms. This recording project was supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation. To see Musical & Amicable Society perform live, visit their Continuo Connect profile page.