Step into a world of moonlit forests, fairy revels and Shakespearean enchantment with Patrick Ayrton and friends. This captivating programme brings together music inspired by the poetry of William Shakespeare, Sir Philip Sidney, Ben Jonson and John Lyly in a richly imagined concert performance.

Performed by an ensemble of outstanding period instrumentalists, with soprano Lauren Lodge-Campbell and violinist Louise Ayrton as featured soloists, the programme blends newly composed songs and instrumental works with the spirit of England's golden age. Drawn from Ayrton's acclaimed 2025 VOCES8 Records album Astrophil & Stella, it takes inspiration from the worlds of Byrd, Purcell and the great English masters, creating music that is both timeless and unmistakably his own, filled with lyrical beauty, imagination and wonder.

From the exuberance of Oh, for a Bowl of Fat Canary and Oh, that joy so soon should waste to the dreamlike landscapes of Witches' Dance, A Wanderer's Fantasy and Fairy Revels, this is a magical journey through love, nature, myth and fantasy, where past and present meet in music of rare charm and originality.

Performers
Patrick Ayrton director
Lauren Lodge-Campbell soprano
Louise Ayrton violin