Classical
England
Fretwork
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About Fretwork
Hometown
London, England
Formed
1985
Genre
Classical
The viol consort Fretwork has remained one of the world's top ensembles in its field. The group stands apart from other viol consorts in its exploration of unusual repertories, playing, for example, music of Bach on viols and commissioning contemporary music. At first, both in concert and on recordings, Fretwork played the core viol repertory of the English Renaissance; the group's first album, 1987's In Nomine, featured works in the quintessentially English genre of the In Nomine. In addition to viol consort music, Fretwork has recorded consort songs with various early music singers, including a noted group of William Byrd songs with Emma Kirkby. The group has commissioned numerous works by contemporary composers, including Tan Dun and Gavin Bryars. In 2019, it released the vocal album If with countertenor Iestyn Davis. In 2025, the ensemble issued several albums, including In Chains of Gold: The English Pre-Restoration Verse Anthem, Vol. 3.
Members of Fretwork include, or have included, Richard Boothby, Richard Tunnicliffe, Asako Morikawa, Wendy Gillespie, Richard Orpheus Campbell, and Susanna Pell.
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