If Folly is the opposite of Reason, then musicians throughout the ages have embraced this side of human behaviour and celebrated it through songs, dances and musical variations and more. Follies can be pleasant, painful and everything in-between.

This programme celebrates some of these musical depictions; the intense desires of the French chansons, the Mad songs of Restoration England, the enduring tune of ‘La Follia’ and all extremes of emotion and behaviour in music.

Heloïse Bernard, Annemarie Klein and Jan Waterfield (voice, recorders and harpsichord) will perform major works by Bernier, Rameau, Couperin, De Bailly, Janequin, de Rore, Purcell, Handel, Eccles and others.