VdGS - Meetings

Next meeting

Meetings are meant for people who are interested in the viol to get together to learn more and meet each other. They are a great place for newcomers to start as well as a forum for the latest research and ideas to be debated. There are always a number of different speakers and live music. There are usually three meetings each year (normally in March, June and November), at least one of which is in central London.

Our meetings are free to members, but a small charge or donation is requested from non-members. Please take note of our safeguarding policy. Zoom link for an online meeting is on the Members page.

Future meetings still being finalised:
November/early December: Robert Smith on the lyra viol music of William Corkine, its context and technique [online].
January 2027: Caroline Ritchie on learning divisions in the 17th century: a comparison between Christopher Simpson's methods and manuscript examples of contemporary sets of divisions [online].
Please keep an eye on the Meetings page for more detailed information

Online Meetings

Tuesday 24th November 2026, 8:00 pm (NB: later start)

The lyra-viol music of William Corkine: its context and technique

Speaker: Robert Smith

Little is known about the elusive William Corkine—not even the dates of his birth or death have survived the passage of time. What we do have are two rare and exquisite collections of songs and instrumental pieces, published in London in 1610 and 1612. These works offer a tantalizing glimpse into the musical world of early 17th-century England: the sounds that once echoed through royal courts, bustling streets, and even the more shadowy corners of society.

Corkine’s instrumental compositions were written for the Lyra-Viol —or viola da gamba in scordatura, with tablature notation. Pavins, Almains, Galliards and Corantos brush shoulders with well known variations (or divisions) on ballads of the time. You might argue that it's where Tobias Hume meets Christopher Simpson.

Robert is in the process of recording all of the instrumental pieces by Corkine, so it's all he thinks about at the moment, and he's very happy to share his thoughts and insights.

NB: 8:00 pm start

Speaker bio:

Robert Smith is a viola da gamba and cello player from Yorkshire in the North of England. In 2017 he released a recording of Telemann’s newly discovered Fantasias for solo viola da gamba, which The Observer reviewed as "playing of exceptional quality". His CDs often feature previously unrecorded repertoire such as lyra-viol music or virtuoso Jenkins duets with his former teacher Paolo Pandolfo. He enjoys exploring different genres of music, dabbling in composition and working with artists from other disciplines. This has led to interesting performances such as playing his own arrangements of Metallica songs for death-defying acrobats in historical circus tents. Robert is Professor of viola da gamba and historical cello at the Hochschule fŭr Musik in Cologne.

Website: www.baroquebass.com, YouTube: metalgamba

In person Meetings

No in person meeting scheduled.

Videos of previous online sessions & meetings