Matthew Locke: The Flat Consort Fretwork

• Matthew Locke (1621 - 1677): The Flat Consort, Suite No. 1 in C Minor:
• 1 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 1 in C Minor: I. Fantazia 03:13
• 2 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 1 in C Minor: Ii. Courante 01:25
• 3 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 1 in C Minor: Iii. Fantazia 02:21
• 4 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 1 in C Minor: Iv. Saraband 00:37
• 5 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 1 in C Minor: V. Fantazia 01:37
• 6 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 1 in C Minor: Vi. Jigg 01:01
• Duo for 2 Bass Viols in C:
• 7 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in C: I. Fantazia 01:36
• 8 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in C: Ii. Fantazia 01:39
• 9 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in C: Iii. Courant 01:35
• 10 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in C: Iv. Fantazia 01:26
• 11 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in C: V. Fantazia 01:33
• 12 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in C: Vi. Saraband 00:54
• The Flat Consort, Suite No. 2 in B-Flat Major:
• 13 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 2 in B-Flat Major: I. Fantazia 02:56
• 14 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 2 in B-Flat Major: Ii. Courant 01:42
• 15 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 2 in B-Flat Major: Iii. Fantazia 03:04
• 16 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 2 in B-Flat Major: Iv. Saraband 00:52
• 17 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 2 in B-Flat Major: V. Fantazia 02:31
• 18 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 2 in B-Flat Major: Vi. Jigg 01:16
• The Flat Consort, Suite No. 3 in D Minor:
• 19 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 3 in D Minor: I. Fantazia 03:36
• 20 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 3 in D Minor: Ii. Courante 01:34
• 21 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 3 in D Minor: Iii. Fantazia 03:01
• 22 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 3 in D Minor: Iv. Saraband 01:49
• Duo for 2 Bass Viols in D:
• 23 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in D: I. Fantazia 01:26
• 24 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in D: Ii. Fantazia 01:13
• 25 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in D: Iii. Courant 01:11
• 26 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in D: Iv. Fantazia 01:15
• 27 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in D: V. Fantazia 01:14
• 28 Locke: Duo for 2 Bass Viols in D: Vi. Saraband 00:54
• The Flat Consort, Suite No. 4 in B-Flat Major:
• 29 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 4 in B-Flat Major: I. Fantazia 03:06
• 30 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 4 in B-Flat Major: Ii. Galliard 01:21
• 31 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 4 in B-Flat Major: Iii. Fantazia 03:37
• 32 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 4 in B-Flat Major: Iv. Saraband 01:35
• The Flat Consort, Suite No. 5 in A Minor:
• 33 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 5 in A Minor: I. Fantazia 03:18
• 34 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 5 in A Minor: Ii. Galliard 01:18
• 35 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 5 in A Minor: Iii. Fantazia 02:50
• 36 Locke: The Flat Consort, Suite No. 5 in A Minor: Iv. Saraband 01:42
• Total Runtime 01:07:18

Info for Matthew Locke: The Flat Consort

Matthew Locke was born 400 years ago in 1622, and while he is often ranked as one of England’s finest composers, he is still unaccountably neglected: his music may not be as immediately appealing as his immediate successor, Henry Purcell, nor as wide- ranging as William Byrd, yet his forceful musical personality and luxuriant technique place him in the first echelon of English composers, with his works described by Richard Boothby of Fretwork as having a “quixotic, capricious restlessness that is constantly challenging the listener to follow his argument … a thrilling musical ride”.

The cover of the album bares an inscription in the walls by the choir stall of Exeter Cathedral, thought to have been carved by the composer during his time as a member of the choir there.

In 2021, Fretwork celebrated its 35th anniversary. In the past three and a half decades they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged. Their recent critically- praised releases with Signum include If and Lamento – both with counter-tenor Iestyn Davies – and In Nomine 2 (BBC Music Magazine).

Fretwork
David Miller, archlute, theorbo
Silas Wollston, harpsichord

Fretwork
Few other ensembles can match the range of Fretwork’s repertory, spanning as it does the first printed music of 1501 in Venice, to music commissioned by the group this year. Their recordings of arrangements of J. S. Bach have won particular praise, but they have recently issued a disc containing music by Grieg, Debussy, Shostakovitch, Warlock & Britten. This extraordinary breadth of music has taken them all over the world in the 25 years since their debut, and their recordings of the classic English viol repertory – Purcell, Gibbons, Lawes & Byrd – have become the benchmark by which others are judged. Their 2009 recording of the Purcell Fantazias won the Gramophone Award for Baroque Chamber Music.

The consistently high standards they have achieved have brought music old and new to audiences hitherto unfamiliar with the inspiring sound-world of the viol.

Booklet for Matthew Locke: The Flat Consort