In this exciting new programme the Linarol Consort of Viols and soprano Héloïse Bernard explore the influence of Renaissance music and literature on William Shakespeare. They will highlight the rich interplay between music and literature, and also engage with audiences to develop a deeper understanding of the Renaissance’s legacy leading up to the era of Shakespeare.

Petrarch, Boccacio and Dante, the giants of Italian literature of the early renaissance, were to provide inspiration to many of the leading dramatists and composers of the proceeding centuries as well as to England’s greatest poet and playwright. The consort and Héloïse will perform works by Dufay, Cipriano de Rore, Orlando di Lasso, Marenzio, Luzzaschi and others, and shed light on the cultural and artistic connections that shaped the early modern world.