In October Antonia and I spent a day with the viol consort L’Achéron, during their recording of English viol music in the beautiful little church of Centeilles near Siran in the Minervois (Fr). You can sample some of the significance and the flavour of the recording here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRkgXGJ1YBI or on their website https://www.lacheron.com/single-post/2020/02/24/A-Consorts-Monument—MAKING-OF Apart from the wonderful playing of these fine young musicians, the performances are notable for the instruments. The viols were made according to the proportions given by Thomas Mace, all to the same model, by Arnaud Giral, luthier in Bristol. The two keyboard instruments were brought and tuned by Francois Ryelandt, who has had the vision to commission these instruments with their very particular qualities and contribution to this repertoire. The copy of the Mar virginals with their sensational decoration commemorating Thomas Dallam’s visit to the Sultan in Constantinople in 1599-1600 was made by Jean-Francois Brun. And we made the consort organ, after the 1630ish organs surviving at Smithfield in Virginia (USA) and Staunton Harold in Leicestershire (UK).
