If It Ain't Broke... Music for the Broken Consort

7pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026
at Fidelio Cafe, 91-95 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1R 5BX

English music for the ‘broken consort’: the modern symphony orchestra is the historical end game of different instruments being mixed together to create one big happy family. But what are the early examples? In England, from the reigns of Elizabeth I to Charles II, composers wrote ‘concerted’ music for instruments from different families – keyboards, plucked strings, viols, violins, and winds -, sometimes as an accompaniment to solo voices. Players from Vache Baroque present an hour-long programme of music from this fabulous repertory, ranging from punchy dances to reflective songs, with pieces by John Jenkins, Christopher Simpson, William Lawes, and others.

Doors open at 6.30pm for cocktails, wine and bistro-style small plates, available to enjoy before and during the performance in Fidelio Cafe’s signature relaxed atmosphere. The musical programme runs from 7 – c.8.10pm. Guests are invited to stay on for a full dinner, with the complete menu to be shared with bookers.

Featuring VB players and singers including...

Recorder Olivia Petryszak
Musical director/harpsichord Jonathan Darbourne