The court of Queen Elizabeth I was the epicentre of the English artistic scene at the end of the sixteenth century. Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s, English music had become increasingly centred around London; a marked contrast to the situation in other European countries where a provincial monastery might act as a lively hub of musical activity. With the court and Chapel Royal playing such crucial roles, it is hard to over-estimate the influence of the queen herself on the music of the time.

Ever conscious of the international reputation of her court, Elizabeth was content to see English musical life developing a strong identity of its own, whilst continuing to benefit from the influence of Continental composers. England’s victory over the Spanish Armada ignited a new national self-confidence that prepared a fertile soil for artists of all kinds – including Shakespeare, Hilliard, Spenser and Smythson.

In the musical sphere, Byrd, Bull, Gibbons and their contemporaries first learnt from their Dutch and Italian counterparts and then surpassed them, both in terms of the magnitude and the sophistication of the new repertoire they created. It was at this time that keyboard music found a new role – aside from its hitherto mainly liturgical function – and the popularity of the domestic virginals reached new heights. Sophie Yates’s choice of music on this disc reflects some significant ideas current in this rich period and makes connections between its prominent personalities.