MAY 2026 UPDATE
- Continuo Foundation
- Jun 9
- 7 min read
IN THIS UPDATE:
1. OUR IMPACT
OUR IMPACT
In May, 10 grantee ensembles presented a total of 25 concerts in 17 different locations across the UK, and recording sessions were completed by Chelys Consort of Viols for their album Faire is the Rose in collaboration with The Gesualdo Six. In addition, two Continuo-supported recordings were released this month, by the Linarol Consort of Viols and The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen.
Continuo Foundation's cumulative impact:
£1,176,000 awarded to 123 ensembles
of which 41 emerging ensembles supported
1,420 freelance musician beneficiaries
432,000 audience beneficiaries
58 recording projects supported
39 new albums released
JULIA RAUSING TRUST AWARDS MAJOR GRANT TO CONTINUO
We are thrilled to share the wonderful news that The Julia Rausing Trust has awarded Continuo £90,000 (spread over 3 years) to support "the continuity of the Early Music sector in the UK". To receive a multi-year grant from such a prestigious funder of excellence in the arts is a welcome recognition of the importance of the Early Music sector, and of the vital role Continuo plays within this ecosystem. We hope this grant will inspire further collaborations with funders wishing to make an impact in Early Music.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all of you who have supported Continuo over the past five years. We see our impact and its positive ripple effects compounding over time, and it's so exciting to imagine where the Early Music scene may be in another five years!
2026 GRANTS & FUNDRAISING
A message from Tina Vadaneaux, Founder and CEO:
May was a very busy month, with concerts supported by both Round 10 and Round 11 grants. We are now preparing to launch Grant Round 12 on 7 July 2026 for projects scheduled to take place from 1 December 2026 to 31 May 2027.
We have made excellent progress toward our £100,000 target for this new grant round. However, £100,000 doesn't go as far as it did in 2021. As such, we are working toward being able to increase the size of our grant rounds, which will require a greater level of certainty about future donations.
If you would like to make a multi-year pledge to help us achieve this ambition, or if you know of an individual or trust who may be willing to do so, I would be delighted to speak with you about how you can help us to keep the Early Music world flourishing.
Please contact me at tina@continuofoundation.co.uk or visit our Support Us page.
OXFORD EARLY MUSIC WEEKEND
Eleven days to go! Oxford Festival of the Arts presents two days of extraordinary Early Music concerts, curated in collaboration with Continuo, on 20 and 21 June - we hope to see you there!
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
with Daniel Thomson
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Daniel Thomson is a London-based tenor soloist, recitalist and chamber singer. Known for his expressive text-based performance, he focuses on historically informed performance of music from the 12th to 19th centuries. Daniel is a core member of groups including Huelgas Ensemble, Dowland’s Foundry, Lux Musicae London, InVocare, Sidonia Ensemble, medieval ensemble Rune and the choir of St Bartholomew-the-Great. His debut solo album 'Secret Fires of Love' has been featured on BBC R3 In Tune with Daniel as a BBC Introducing Artist. A MusicWeb International review described it as a disc “of the utmost importance..."
How has Continuo Foundation impacted your day-to-day life?
Continuo Foundation has made a huge change to the early music scene in the UK - and as an artist it is so great to have a platform like Continuo Connect to share info about our concerts and events. But also, it’s so handy being able to see an overview of other concerts happening! I love seeing what all my colleagues are up to on the Continuo Connect diary.
What new doors have opened for you since becoming a grantee?
Continuo grants have meant that we’ve been able to create some really special projects that just wouldn’t have happened otherwise. For Rune, the tour of our Decameron programme provided a springboard into our residency at St Bartholomew the Great. For Dowland’s Foundry it has been fantastic to work with some amazing festivals and venues like Oxford Festival of the Arts - come see us in June! For me personally, it’s allowed me to really think about who I want to be as an early music specialist and what creative projects are possible.
What do you love about being a musician?
When it comes to the good parts of the job, being a musician is wonderful. I get to travel to so many different places and sing in some beautiful venues. As a musician particularly interested in historical music, being able to sing in places that are connected to history is a real joy for me. This year I got to sing music from 13th century France in Notre Dame with Huelgas Ensemble. An absolute highlight!
Where did you encounter the most receptive audience?
I love a smaller, intimate audience where you can see people’s faces and seek out some kind, receptive eyes in the audience. Recently I did some community concerts in libraries in Beverley and East Riding through the National Centre for Early Music. We had some audience members that had no idea what to expect, but they were so engaged and open to enjoying some lute songs!
No.1 listening recommendation?
If you know me well, you’d know I’ve recently taken up the Viola da Gamba as a hobby (away from the pressures of performing). So I am listening to the Viol a lot. Particularly Lyra Viol repertoire, which is a style of playing that alternates between being melismatic and chordal. Fretwork has a lovely pair of discs of William Lawes from 2002. In particular the Air for Lyra Viol, VdGS No.463 played by Richard Boothby is just beautiful.
For more about Daniel Thomson check out his Continuo Connect Interview.
MAY PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Chelys Consort of Viols & The Gesualdo Six - Faire is the Rose
Chelys Consort and The Gesualdo Six completed recording sessions for a new album, and a concert, in the 12th century church of Boxgrove Priory. The programme celebrates the life and work of Orlando Gibbons and features both sacred and secular pieces by Gibbons, alongside three new commissions inspired by his works by Owain Park, Anna Semple and Áine Mallon, as well as works by Thomas Tomkins and Pelham Humfrey.
Parnassus - 3 in 1: 'Christ lag in Todes Banden’
In May, Parnassus performed their programme 3 in 1: A Triadic Reflection, presenting three settings of Martin Luther’s hymn 'Christ lag in Todes Banden’ through music, visual art and literature in London and at Purbeck Art Weeks (Wareham). This project was a collaborative, cross-disciplinary production with visual artist Jérémie Queyras. Parallel to the three musical settings of Luther's hymn by Pachelbel, Kuhnau and Bach, Queyras created a visual landscape, painting live on three large canvases to provide a dynamic theatrical backdrop. Read about the work of Jérémie Queyras in this Continuo Connect interview. Photo by Nathan Giorgetti
Bloomsbury Players - Schubert Octet & Songs of Inspiration
The Bloomsbury Players toured an innovative programme centred around Schubert’s Octet across England and Scotland over two weeks, performing seven concerts in seven locations and a workshop in a primary school. They presented Schubert's Octet using period instruments (including wind instruments from the Sir Nicholas Shackleton Collection at University of Edinburgh), while linking to the present with new arrangements by Bill Thorp of Schubert songs that inspired his instrumental chamber music. With concerts and education workshops in rural communities and cities, the ensemble aimed to introduce audiences of all ages to historical performance, draw in new audiences and bring them closer to the music (quite literally) by performing in a variety of intimate and less traditional concert venues, and in places with limited access to high-level live classical music.
Istante Collective - Purcell 'King Arthur'
Istante Collective presented a fully-staged performance of Purcell’s King Arthur as part of the Baroquestock Festival in May. A confection of music and dance, speech and action, this dramatic semi-opera, set to a libretto by the poet John Dryden, tells the little-known story of King Arthur’s mission to rescue his blind Cornish fiancée, Princess Emmeline. This cleverly staged production, with a fantastic cast of singers and a wonderful band directed from the harpsichord by Matthew Brown, was supported by Continuo Foundation in partnership with the Purcell Society. Click on the trailer video below made during rehearsals for this imaginative and outstanding production.
NEW ALBUM ALERT
Linarol Consort - Epitaph for a Green Lover
Following the success of the Continuo-funded tour of their 'Epitaph for a Green Lover' programme, Linarol Consort and soprano Héloïse Bernard released a recording of the same name, also supported by Continuo. Exploring music from the manuscripts of Margaret of Austria (1480-1530), the programme title comes from the remarkable chanson, 'Soubz ce tumbel', with its tragic text by Margaret’s court poet, Jean Lemaire de Belges. His Epitaphe de l’amant vert (‘green lover’) refers to Margaret's beloved green parrot. Click on the video below to hear this song, and read more about the album here.
The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen - Vivaldi in Prague
The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen released their new album, Vivaldi in Prague. Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons were dedicated to Count Wenzel von Morzin from Prague. In 1718, he travelled to Venice with his ‘virtuosissimo orchestra’ and hired Vivaldi as ‘maestro di musica italiano’. Alongside works by Vivaldi, the CD includes concertos by František Jiránek, employed in Morzin’s chapel, and by Antonín Reichenauer, who was strongly influenced by Vivaldi's school. Released on Accent Records, this album may be purchased here or streamed on all major platforms. Read more here.
