I Fagiolini

All the King’s Men

Intimate music from Renaissance courts

Performers: 4-5 singers

Janequin – Le chant des oyseaulx
Flecha – La justa (The joust)
Rore and Marenzio – madrigals
Monteverdi (if 5 voices) – madrigals
Tomkins, Byrd – madrigals

Featuring music from four great courts of Renaissance Europe, here is some of the most pleasurable music to sing and listen to from the time: intimate in scale but written with a joie-de-vivre or an intensity that surprises. This beautiful programme lets its audience into the secrets of the repertoire for the ensemble par exellence of the Renaissance – the small solo-voice a capella ensemble.

After nearly 25 years of performing this music, I Fagiolini present some of its favourite works. From France, tender lovesongs as well as chansons grivoises – with strongly risqué poems. From England, Dowland, Byrd and Tomkins in gems of the madrigal that one so rarely hears now. From Italy, intense works by Rore and Marenzio whose biting passion almost leaves a mark; while from Spain, an ensalada to set your foot-tapping in one of I Fagiolini’s trademark staged performances.

“Ranging from the bumpkin romp to more refined sentiments. The singers respond to gravity of tone with consummate ensemble, to comedy with well-timed improvisation, and to ribaldry with plenty of gusto…” Gramophone

“Full of both perfect tuning and distinctive melancholy, Hollingworth’s group allow the dissonances to flow, like the wave that follows the swan.” Diapason (France)

Hear samples on the CD All The King’s Men