ABOUT LYREBYRD
Showcasing early instruments
Bringing old music to new audiences!
Lyrebyrd Consort has been performing early music on a range of instruments common in Medieval and Renaissance times since 2008.
Lyrebyrd’s 15 members currently perform on over 40 instruments!
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Lyrebyrd consists of five different consorts:
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Recorder consort – performing beautiful harmonies on 7 sizes of Renaissance recorder
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Viol consort – specialising in evocative string music from the Renaissance & Baroque
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Tri-corns – crumhorns, cornemuse & cornetti – meet the loudest of the Lyrebyrd ensembles: perfect for outdoor events
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Lyrebyrd continuo – specialising in lute songs for singers, lute & viola da gamba
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Lyrebyrd Tutti – all of the above with the addition of rebecs, vielles, harp, oud, psalteries & percussion!
Lyrebyrd’s mission is to discover and perform rare and evocative music from the past, and to explore different sonorities and combinations of instruments and musical ideas.
Music performed by the group ranges from simple unison melodies and lively dances to complex harmonic structures, blending instruments, vocals and percussion.
Lyrebyrd has frequently performed alongside LuminaVocal in the Adelaide Fringe, as well as performing on its own in schools, gardens and historic homes.
Founding Director Anna Pope says “one of the thrills of establishing these diverse ensembles is the opportunity to combine the purity and ‘safety’ of vocal lines with the richness, variety and occasional risk of early instruments.”
Tim Muecke & Rosemary Byron-Scott
Tim (recorder, crumhorn, rebec, vielle & viol) most closely resembles our mascot (a lyrebird), being incredibly versatile and able to thrive in various environments. Playing in both the wind and the string subsets of Lyrebyrd meant that he rarely got a break during our last concert – fortunately he enjoys the challenge of playing anything that comes his way!
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Lulled to sleep as child by her father practicing Bach organ music, Rosemary (recorder, crumhorn & lute) has learnt many instruments over the years and loves the challenge of tackling new instruments – most recently, crumhorn and lute. She also loves developing new arrangements of medieval and Renaissance music.
Kenneth Pope & Rachel Sag
It all started with his Dad teaching him recorder, followed by years dedicated to learning piano, clarinet, guitar and voice. Kenneth (recorder, crumhorn, percussion & oud) loves making music with Lyrebyrd – especially playing treble recorder in luscious Renaissance repertoire where the group “feels as one”.
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Rachel (recorder, crumhorn, cornemuse & psaltery) remembers playing recorder from the back of the car on long family trips and has lived to tell the tale. Taking up new instruments has been fun, including cornemuse, crumhorn and the tiniest recorder: “the Garklein is like being at your own party with a whistle to add the icing on the cake”.
Eleanor & Meg Pope
Eleanor (viola da gamba, rebec, vielle & kantelle) fell in love with the cello aged five and now teaches cello to children and adults. Early music is a particular passion: “It’s amazing to play early music on the instruments it was written for. The distinctive sound quality transports you to an earlier time”
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Meg (viola da gamba, rebec & bowed psaltery) started as a cellist, branching out into trombone, violin, viola, piano and voice during her school years. Now studying music education at Adelaide University, Meg enjoys exploring early instruments with Lyrebyrd, including playing various unusual stringed instruments and teaching herself the Celtic harp.
Lizzie Zeuner
Growing up surrounded by music will usually turn you one way or the other – for Lizzie (rebec & viol) it has led to a love of music and the performing arts. Specialising in viola and voice, Lizzie has been enjoying the challenge of learning new instruments and exploring early music with Lyrebyrd.
Kari Dawson & Donna Hughes-Barton
There are few thing Kari (recorder, crumhorn & cornemuse) enjoys more than playing music with friends! Starting as a bassoonist and recorder player, Kari has branched out into rare early instruments including crumhorn, cornemuse, Glastonbury pipe & symphonia (small hurdy gurdy). Her latest ambition is to acquire a Racket!
Anna Pope
After a failed attempt at learning violin aged 6, Anna (recorder, crumhorn, percussion & vioce) discovered that she loved singing, playing piano and blowing into various tubes. She’s still learning all the time, and loves the risk and adventure of performing rare ancient music on early instruments such as the crumhorn.