LFBM 2026: Mad Lover

Passion, virtuosity, and heartbreak meet in Mad Lover.

Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte and lutenist Thomas Dunford fathom the depths of musical melancholy and scale the heights of virtuosity, exploring the rich musical landscape of 17th-century England, a time when the brilliance and exuberance of the Italian style was making its mark on English composition.

Through works by the virtuoso Nicola Matteis and his contemporaries, alongside the expressive elegance of Henry Purcell and John Eccles, the programme evokes a lovestruck figure, our Mad Lover, at the cosmopolitan court of Charles II.

A world of longing, desire, and loss unfolds, with music whose emotional intensity still resonates today.