Arjen Everts, Wire-strung instruments in broken consort

During the time of Queen Elizabeth I, the broken or mixed consort—different instrument types playing together, also known as the English consort—was a blend of wind, plucked, and bowed instruments. In this project, I focused on the plucked instruments: the lute, orpharion, bandora, and cittern, particularly the last three wire-strung types. The orpharion and cittern I built are nearly forgotten instruments, with almost no surviving examples. To achieve this, I relied on the music of the period, written sources, and extant instruments that are closely related. My aim was to recreate the lost sounds that once echoed through the streets of Renaissance England.