Fellow in Music Francis Knights completes Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

Fitzwilliam College's Fellow in Music Francis Knights has just completed his long-running recital series of music from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, a very large and important keyboard manuscript from c.1610 now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, where the last concert took place on Sunday.

In 30 concerts and over more than 10 years Francis has used all of the appropriate Tudor keyboard instruments - harpsichord, virginals, ottavino, clavichord and organ - to play works by Byrd, Bull, Gibbons, Tomkins and many others. He is also producing a new edition of the complete manuscript.

FINISHED!!! After more than ten years and 30 concerts, I've now performed the complete Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, on harpsichord, virginals, spinet, ottavino, clavichord and organ. Today's final concert of Byrd was back at the Fitzwilliam Museum @FitzMuseum_UK itself. pic.twitter.com/opvPciCMyq

— Francis Knights (@knights_fk) October 20, 2019