Voice of the Viol | June 11

The sweet nature of the viol enchanted the court of Henry VIII. From there, the viol became the instrument of choice across England over the next century, from noble manors to humbler households. In particular, the viol seemed perfectly matched to the human voice. Superstar soprano Amanda Forsythe joins Voice of the Viol for an enchanting afternoon of music from the English Renaissance, featuring works by William Byrd, John Dowland, and others. This will be a concert of perfect concord!

 Amanda Forsythe, soprano; Cristiano Contadin, Farley Pearce, Elisabeth Reed, William Skeen, viols; Hanneke van Proosdij, recorder; David Tayler, lute
The Voice of the Viol is a program of Voices of Music and is directed by Elisabeth Reed.

The American soprano Amanda Forsythe, celebrated for her performances on both sides of the Atlantic, is a regular soloist with the highly acclaimed baroque ensembles Les Talens Lyriques, the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, the Boston Early Music Festival, the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, Tafelmusik, Apollo’s Fire, Opera Prima, Pacific Musicworks, Early Music Vancouver, and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Forsythe joins Voice of the Viol featuring musicians from San Francisco-based Voices of Music in a special program, highlighting Renaissance music from the court of Elizabeth I, including music by William Byrd for his 400th anniversary.