MUSIC

Houston Early Music presents Fretwork with Clare Wilkinson: Happy Birthday, Henry!, celebrating Purcell's 250th Birthday. Saturday, January 17 at Christ Church Cathedral.

A fitting birthday tribute for England’s greatest baroque composer - England’s finest performing his songs and instrumental works. Fretwork, the viol consort, is joined by the radiant voice of mezzo-soprano Clare Wilkinson.

Since its London debut in 1986, Fretwork has given concerts and broadcast round the world, made numerous highly successful recordings, set new standards in the performance of the great English music for viol consort, and generated a living repertory for the medium.

In 2006, Fretwork celebrated 20 years of performing music old and new, and look forward to a challenging and exciting future as the world's leading consort of viols.

In these last two decades, they have explored their core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged.

Fretwork has been setting new standards for the performance of 16th & 17th century English masterpieces for viol consort. The group has given concerts and broadcast all round the world, made numerous highly successful recordings - recently with an exclusive contract with Harmonia Mundi USA, and formerly for Virgin Classics - and is actively engaged in generating a new repertory for their instruments.

Many of Fretwork's audience are now familiar with works by the great English composers, who include John Taverner, Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, John Dowland, William Lawes, John Jenkins, Matthew Locke & Henry Purcell. Now the group's repertory has expanded not only to embrace music from 15th, 16th & 17th century Flanders, France, Germany Italy and Spain, but also entirely new works by living composers. They have given the first performances of pieces specially written for them by, among many others, George Benjamin, Simon Bainbridge, Gavin Bryars, Barry Guy, Michael Nyman, Peter Sculthorpe, Sally Beamish, Elvis Costello, Alexander Goehr, Thea Musgrave, Tan Dun, John Woolrich, Poul Ruders, Orlando Gough & Sir John Tavener.

They have also sought to fill in the gap between their earlier music and the contemporary by playing as much J. S. Bach as possible. Initially, they played and recorded 'The Art of Fugue' to rapturous criticism; and more recently they have arranged many of his keyboard works, including 'The Well Tempered Clavier' and the 'Clavierüaut;bung', recently released on the HMU label under the title 'Alio Modo'.

Houston Early Music is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.