DIVISION: The Virtuoso Consort Fretwork & Silas Wollston

• John Jenkins (1592 - 1678): Fantasia Suite in D Major for 2 Trebles, 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 8:
• 1 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in D Major for 2 Trebles, 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 8: I. Fantasia 03:21
• 2 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in D Major for 2 Trebles, 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 8: II. Almain 02:04
• 3 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in D Major for 2 Trebles, 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 8: III. Corant 01:44
• Fantasy in D Major for Treble and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 8:
• 4 Jenkins: Fantasy in D Major for Treble and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 8 03:43
• Fantasia Suite in G Minor for Treble and 2 Basses, VdGS No. 1:
• 5 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in G Minor for Treble and 2 Basses, VdGS No. 1: I. Fantasia 05:18
• 6 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in G Minor for Treble and 2 Basses, VdGS No. 1: II. Almain 02:37
• 7 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in G Minor for Treble and 2 Basses, VdGS No. 1: III. Corant 02:03
• Fancy & Air Divisions in A Minor for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 2:
• 8 Jenkins: Fancy & Air Divisions in A Minor for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 2: I. Fancy 05:01
• 9 Jenkins: Fancy & Air Divisions in A Minor for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 2: II. Ayre 04:09
• Fantasia Suite in D Minor for Treble, 2 Basses and Organ, VdGS No. 7:
• 10 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in D Minor for Treble, 2 Basses and Organ, VdGS No. 7: I. Fantasia 06:02
• 11 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in D Minor for Treble, 2 Basses and Organ, VdGS No. 7: II. Almain 02:16
• 12 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in D Minor for Treble, 2 Basses and Organ, VdGS No. 7: III. Corant 01:33
• Fantasy in G Major for Treble and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 10:
• 13 Jenkins: Fantasy in G Major for Treble and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 10 03:38
• Fancy & Air Divisions in C Major for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 4:
• 14 Jenkins: Fancy & Air Divisions in C Major for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 4: I. Fancy 05:12
• 15 Jenkins: Fancy & Air Divisions in C Major for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 4: II. Ayre 03:46
• Sonata in D Minor for Treble, Bass and Basso continuo:
• 16 Jenkins: Sonata in D Minor for Treble, Bass and Basso continuo 04:37
• Fantasia Suite in A Minor for 2 Trebles and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 2:
• 17 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in A Minor for 2 Trebles and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 2: I. Fantasia 03:20
• 18 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in A Minor for 2 Trebles and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 2: II. Almain 02:15
• 19 Jenkins: Fantasia Suite in A Minor for 2 Trebles and 2 Basses to the Organ, VdGS No. 2: III. Corant 01:22
• Fantasy in D Minor for 2 Trebles and Bass, VdGS No. 5:
• 20 Jenkins: Fantasy in D Minor for 2 Trebles and Bass, VdGS No. 5: Fantasia 03:32
• Fancy & Air Divisions in E Minor for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 6:
• 21 Jenkins: Fancy & Air Divisions in E Minor for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 6: I. Fancy 05:20
• Fancy & Air Divisions in in E Minor for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 6:
• 22 Jenkins: Fancy & Air Divisions in in E Minor for 2 Trebles, Bass and Organ, VdGS No. 6: II. Ayre 04:54
• Total Runtime 01:17:47

Info for DIVISION: The Virtuoso Consort

In September 2025 Fretwork return with an album of works for Viol by John Jenkins. Jenkins was a highly active and productive composer who lived through a period of significant transformation in English music, with his lifetime spanning from the era of William Byrd to that of Henry Purcell. He is particularly known for his contributions to the viol consort fantasia, drawing inspiration in the 1630s from a previous generation of English composers such as Alfonso Ferrabosco the Younger, Thomas Lupo, and Orlando Gibbons. His work is distinguished by its rich lyricism, exceptional craftsmanship, and a unique approach to tonality and counter- point. In 2025 Fretwork commemorate the sudden and untimely death of Orlando Gibbons (My Days, SIGCD897), and celebrate the 90th year of Arvo Pärt with concerts and recordings. In these last decades, they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music from Taverner to Purcell, made classic recordings against which others are judged, and commissioned an entirely new repertory of music for viols. They will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2026.

For many viol players, the consort music of John Jenkins, in four, five and six parts, is the apogee of the consort literature. He is held in such high regard because of the beautiful lyrical fluency of his writing for the viol, the ease and natural way in which his Fantasias ebb and flow, the deftly sonorous spacing of his part-writing, and probably most of all for the genial character he reveals himself to be in these great works.

They built on the music of the generation before him: Coprario, Lupo, Gibbons, Ferrabosco had all written Fantasias for viols in a similar vein, contrapuntal and madrigalian, based on a vocal style, but extended to take advantage of the instrument. Jenkins had probably finished writing this large body of music by the end of the 1630s, and musical developments in Italy, in particular, were beginning to make themselves felt in England, even for a composer who spent most of his time away from the court, moving from large country house to house.

But in fact, the first half of the 17th century was the heyday of the English viol virtuoso, and standards of playing, particularly of the bass viol must have been extremely high. English players were in great demand in the courts of Europe, and we see Charles Butler in Madrid, William Young in Innsbruck, Walter Rowe in Germany, all virtuosos on the bass viol employed for their exceptional talents. At home in England, also, Christopher Simpson was the pre-eminent viol player, and a great friend of Jenkins. Jenkins himself was clearly a fine player, both on the normal bass viol and on the lyra viol, the smaller version, tuned in a bewildering variety of tunings, and notated in tablature. He performed before Charles I ‘as one that performed somewhat extraordinary’. ...

Fretwork
Silas Wollston, organ

Fretwork
In 2021, Fretwork celebrates 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.

In addition to this, Fretwork have become known as pioneers of contemporary music for viols, having commissioned over 40 new works. The list of composers is like the role call of the most prominent writers of our time: George Benjamin, Michael Nyman, Sir John Tavener, Gavin Bryars, Elvis Costello, Alexander Goehr, John Woolrich, Orlando Gough, Fabrice Fitch, Peter Sculthorpe, Sally Beamish, Tan Dun, Barry Guy, Andrew Keeling, Thea Musgrave, Simon Bainbridge, Poul Ruders, John Joubert, Duncan Druce and Nico Muhly. The group now frequently presents programmes consisting entirely of contemporary music.

They made their Carnegie Hall debut in February of 2010, and now tour the United States most years. In that year, they also curated a week-long concert series of concerts at Kings Place. The culmination of this week was the world premier of The World Encompassed by Orlando Gough, a 70-minute piece describing in musical terms Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe in 1577-80.

They celebrated their 30th anniversary with a star-studded concert at Kings Place in June of 2016; and recorded four new albums, including The World Encompassed, and later that year they made their longest tour of America, taking in the USA, Canada & Colombia.

Their recordings with Signum Classics have resulted in several notable releases: The World Encompassed, John Jenkins Four Part Fantasies, If (with Iestyn Davies), In Chains of Gold (Orlando Gibbons’ consort anthems), & The Silken Tent, with Clare Wilkinson, including the music of Debussy, Grieg, Byrd, Purcell, Nyman, Goehr, Wolf, Britten, Shostakovich and Stephen Wilkinson; and then In Nomine II, concluding a survey of English In Nomines started with their debut album in 1987, including Nico Muhly’s Slow and music by Ferrabosco, Bull, Tye, Baldwin, Parsons and Purcell.

The 2020 pandemic curtailed most groups plans and activities, and Fretwork saw its fair share of cancellations; but it was fortunate to receive £30,000 from Arts Council England’s Emergency fund, and then to be able to present a live-streamed concert with Iestyn Davies from the National Centre for Early Music in York.

In 2021 they appeared at Wigmore Hall twice, including a performance on Good Friday, the first from Wigmore for many decades, of Johann Sebastiani’s St Matthew Passion. They were also awarded a substantial grant from Arts Council England to continue and maintain the continuity of their work.

In 2022 they celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of one of England’s greatest composers for viols, Matthew Locke; and plans visits to Germany, Spain and France. There will also be a collaboration with The Kings Singers and new works from Sir James MacMillan and Roderick Williams.

Silas Wollston
is a keyboard player, composer and former academic. In his compositions, his obsession with harmony (inspired equally by 60s jazz and Olivier Messiaen) is matched by his passion – as a former lecturer in fugue – for counterpoint. Often seen performing the works of Bach and Handel, he is equally happy exploring the music of lesser-known composers of the Renaissance and Baroque.

Booklet for DIVISION: The Virtuoso Consort