To mark the 450th birthday of the great John Dowland in 2013, Emma Kirkby and Jacob Heringman started a new enterprise initially under the auspices of Brighton Early Music Festival. Dowland Works is something of a club for young performers and seasoned specialists to explore together the rich heritage of lute song left to us by John Dowland and others.

Members met frequently to play through the repertoire and build programmes, and in the ensuing years until the pandemic the group appeared extensively throughout the UK. Numbers have grown steadily, allowing Dowland Works to field different groups on different occasions. Among our singers, some are members of the busiest professional vocal groups, and also have formed their own duos; others have different preoccupations in the creative arts. All are united in their love for this repertoire and their eagerness to share it with audiences.