William Byrd and his Circle with Sally Dunkley on 7th February 2026

We welcome the return of Sally Dunkley, show-casing Byrd and his contemporaries. While parts of William Byrd’s large musical output are very familiar to many singers, who were his colleagues and his models? We know that he held in the highest esteem his teacher and friend Thomas Tallis. But he also worked alongside and shared techniques with his contemporaries Robert Parsons, John Sheppard and Allonso Ferrabosco. In this workshop we will explore some of these less well-known discoveries alongside some substantial pieces by Byrd – lots of wonderful music!

The Tutor – Sally Dunkley has enjoyed a long career as a professional consort singer, as a student in the Clerkes of Oxenford, then with the Sixteen from its very first concert, and the Tallis Scholars too. She started making performing editions when few were readily available; some are now published by Oxford University Press (series ‘Musica Dei donum’) and the Church Music Society. She is delighted to share her experience through workshops, summer schools and talks.

The Venue: Knowle Village Hall, St John’s Close, Knowle, B93 0NH  https://knowlevillagehall.co.uk/

The Hall is 1.5 miles away from the M42 junction 5 and approximately 3.5 miles to the east of Solihull Centre. Nearby bus stops provide frequent transport links from Solihull and Dorridge stations.

Parking is pretty good around the Village Hall, as it is surrounded on three sides by public car parks owned by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and at the front of the building on the forecourt there is room for four or five cars. The first two hours in the public car parks are free but for longer stays there is a charge.

Workshop Organiser: Marion Thompson  – 07436 540608

Booking is now open – book here