Early music ensemble

Milady Clare's Musicke

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About Milady Clare's Musicke

Milady Clare’s Musicke delight their audiences with madrigals, dance tunes, early carols and boisterous tavern songs from past centuries!
Early music ensemble
Buckingham
Public liability insurance of £1 million

Twenty years ago Milady Clare’s Musicke were a regular feature at castles, stately homes, living history events, craft fairs and banquets, playing our wonderfully esoteric collection of medieval and renaissance musical instruments and (we like to think) delighting audiences with madrigals, dance tunes, early carols and boisterous tavern songs. In the intervening years the band's members took their individual musical journeys in different directions, but not too long ago the group's musical director Ruth Holiday, with husband Graham and the band's original founder James McCafferty, decided that it was time for Milady Clare's Musicke to perform once again the hit singles of the 1600s (and earlier and later centuries too)...! And in 2019 we were fortunate enough to be joined by soprano and multi-instrumentalist Lydia Vella, so once again we are four!

Encore badges
4th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 4 years
Musicianship
Genres:
Early music, Christmas, Baroque, Medieval music, Renaissance, Traditional English folk, Folk
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Event types:
Concert, Private event, Hotel / Restaurant event, Corporate event, Christmas party, Funeral / Memorial service, Charity event
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Milady Clare's Musicke's Song list

Shepherds Arise
Candlemas Eve
Greensleeves
Past Three O'Clock
Angels We Have Heard on High
Gloucestershire Wassail
Gaudete
Since First I Saw Your Face
Belle Qui Tiens Ma Vie
Serving Girl's Holiday
Martin Said to His Man
Bransle Simple
Pastyme with Good Companye
Edi Beo Thu Hevene Quene/La Moresca
Down in Yon Forest
The Seven Joys of Mary
Star of Bethlehem (O Little Town)
Betsy Bell and Mary Gray
Coranto
Ah! Robin
Sumer Is Icumen In
Bransle (Gervaise)
A Gallery Carol
Noël Nouvelet
Putta Nera Ballo Furlano
Ronde (Susato)
Bransle Simple
Tourdion
Auszug
Quem Pastores
Es Ist Ein Ros'
La Volta
Portsmouth
Pachelbel's Canon
Never Weather-Beaten Sail
Tallis' Canon
More Palatino
Country Boy
Richard's Tune
Callino Casturame/Le Mois de Mai
When From My Love/Now is the Month of Maying
The Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)
The Death of Queen Jane
See Amid the Winter's Snow
The First Nowell
O Little Town of Bethlehem
In the Bleak Midwinter
Good King Wenceslas
What Child is This?
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Christmas Medley: In Dulci Jubilo, The Sussex Carol, I Saw Three Ships
Gifts of the Shepherds
Stille Nacht/Silent Night
Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

The early and traditional music we specialise in was always meant to be FUN, so you can expect plenty of humour, banter and audience participation from us!

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

Stowe Landscape Gardens (National Trust) Stowe School The Chantry Chapel, Buckingham Buckingham Community Centre

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

David Munrow The City Waites Musica Antiqua

Do you have different line-up options?

We usually perform as a quartet, but often our members are booked elsewhere, so our repertoire is easily adapted to two or three voices and/or instruments.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

We always try our best to be flexible to help ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible. If timings change slightly in the run up to the event just let us know

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

Doesn't really fit terribly well with an historical music group like Milady Clare's Musicke!

How much time do you need to set up?

We normally need about 45 minutes to set everything up - our unusual instruments need time to acclimatise to the venue and we then need time to tune them in.

Can you roam around while you perform?

We are primarily an acoustic group, so some moving around is certainly possible - ask us if you're not sure!

Can I pick the songs you play from the set list?

You are very welcome to request certain songs/instrumentals from our repertoire list and we'll do our best to include those if they don't require extensive re-arrangements.

Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA & lighting) included in your quote?

Yes, if we need a PA and sound system in larger venues, we will provide that within your budget.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

If it's a song or instrumental that we already know, then certainly. If it's new to us (these days the volume of available Renaissance and Tudor music is truly vast), we will do our best to include it in the programme.

Milady Clare's Musicke's Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Up to 1 hour£500
Up to 2 hours£600
Up to 3 hours£600
Milady Clare's Musicke
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4 out of 5
1 verified review

Milady Clare's Musicke's Reviews

From customers:

HP
Helen P
4 years ago, for a Concert in Cornwalls Meadow
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4 out of 5

Milady Clare’s Musicke's presentation at Buckingham U3A was very well received. An extraordinary range of mediaeval instruments were brought to life with skill and good humour, linked by informative and entertaining commentary - a delightful afternoon!