The King's Delight

Music, words and song from Restoration England

After years of civil war and an Interregnum,
Charles II has ascended the throne..

The restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660 is generally seen as a time of rejoicing, when all the good things Parliament had tried to ban or destroy could be enjoyed again. The period is well documented through the works of Pepys, Evelyn and through anonymous ballads describing momentous events, including the Great Fire of 1666 and Frost Fair in 1683. The programme of music, words and song from Restoration England includes ballads about horseracing, songs from the theatre, tavern rounds, dance music, and divisions and solos for the violin, viol and cittern; and music by Wilson, Lawes, Locke and Purcell, and Playford.

We created this programme at the request of Totnes Early Music Society for a concert that could be a companion piece to Ian Mortimer's Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.

“A big thank you to you too for putting the programme together, it worked extremely well. I was told it was the first time you had done the Newmarket racing song with the race commentary - an inspiration, and so lightly and successfully done, I had assumed it was a regular highlight of your concerts. You certainly seem to be able to find charismatic and compelling actor/singers! Not that I want in any way to diminish the contributions of the rest of you: I love the way musical instruments and intros get handed around, almost casually, it produces a really nice atmosphere. And I have got all this way without commenting on your joint musicianship, it shows the importance of "performance" and presentation to add over and above musical skills, which we tend to take for granted but which I remain in awe of.”

            Jill Tomalin, Totnes Early Music

Supported by the Continuo Foundation