The City Musick

The City Musick was formed by William Lyons to explore the diverse repertoire of civic and court wind bands in early modern Europe and is now firmly established as the premier renaissance wind band in the UK.

The City Musick made their BBC Proms debut in 2012 with a performance of Venetian music in collaboration with the vocal ensemble I Fagiolini. The Decca recording of this and that of the Striggio Mass, also involving the ensemble, have both met with great critical acclaim. Their first recording in 2015 of music of the London Waits, The Topping Tooters of the Town received unanimous critical praise.

The ongoing collaboration with I Fagiolini continued with a recording of the magnificent Benevoli Missa Tu es Petrus which garnered five-star reviews when released in 2023. June 2024 saw the ensemble record the second instalment of the project.

The dance band project, The Count & The Duke – A Renaissance Big Band was premiered at the Stour Festival and York Early Music Festival in 2023, and the group’s latest recording with vocal ensemble Magnificat of Lassus chansons and motets will be released in early 2026.