With their 40th anniversary on the horizon, the acclaimed and pioneering viol consort Fretwork perform at the Lichfield Festival Chamber Weekend for the first time. Over the last four decades, they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged. Their series of discs for Virgin Classics included CDs devoted to William Lawes, Henry Purcell, William Byrd, Matthew Locke, John Dowland and Orlando Gibbons; while their more recent work for Harmonia Mundi USA has produced three discs of J.S. Bach — The Art of Fugue, Alio Modo and The Goldberg Variations – all of which have been exuberantly praised by critics and audiences alike.

The group’s musical horizons expand far beyond their core repertoire, however, and their wonderfully eclectic 'Take Five' programme features works by J.S. Bach, Tye, Weelkes and Purcell, alongside Kate Bush, Michael Nyman and Dave Brubeck!