The King's Delight

Music, words and song from Restoration Britain
After years of civil war and an Interregnum, the King has returned...

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.

Our programme uses 17th Century music, words and song to give a picture of these times, with: ballads about the Plague, the Great Fire, the Frost Fair, horseracing, chocolate and coffee; loyal songs and theatre songs; tavern rounds, dance music, and divisions and solos for the violin, viol and cittern.

Includes music by Jenkins, Banister, Simpson, Locke, Purcell, and Playford.
Words by Pepys, Evelyn, and Aphra Behn.