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Kings and Commonwealth

Political music of 16th- and 17th-century England

Booking and details

Dates & Tickets

Dates Fri, May 2 – Sun, May 4, 2025

Venue Folger Theatre

Tickets $20 – $45

Please note: Children under the age of 4 are not permitted.

Folger Consort

Kings and Commonwealth revives the political music of 16th- and 17th-century England, offering country dances, courtly chamber music, and a wealth of popular broadside ballads on political topics, some sung to great tunes like “Greensleeves.”

Kings James I and Charles I, Parliament, and Oliver Cromwell all figure prominently in the concert’s selections. During this tumultuous time, the monarchs and Parliament were involved in a struggle over the absolute power of the king, leading to Civil War and a royal execution. The music and poetry from early modern England remain as charged and fervent as ever.

Artistic directors

Robert Eisenstein
Robert Eisenstein

Robert Eisenstein

Christopher Kendall
Christopher Kendall

Christopher Kendall

Artists

Risa Browder

Violin, treble viol

Risa Browder

Mark Cudek
Mark Cudek

Cittern and bass viol

Mark Cudek

Amy Domigues

Bass and tenor viols

Amy Domigues

Robert Eisenstein
Robert Eisenstein

Bass viol, violin, recorder

Robert Eisenstein

Dan Meyers
Dan Meyers

Recorder, bagpipe, pipe and tabor, percussion

Dan Meyers

Emily Noël

Soprano

Emily Noël

Peter Walker

Baritone, bagpipe

Peter Walker

Cameron Welke
Cameron Welke

Lute, theorbo, guitar

Cameron Welke

Folger Consort 2024-25 Season Sponsors

Premier Season Sponsors

Dr. Bill and Evelyn Braithwaite
Andrea “Andi” Kasarsky

Production Sponsors

Gail Orgelfinger and Charles Hanna

Contributing Sponsor

Mr. Leslie C. Taylor

Associate Sponsors

David and Lenka Lundsten
Robert J. and Tina M. Tallaksen
Mike Newton and Dr. Linda Werling
Mary Augusta and George D. Thomas

Artist Sponsors

Karl K. and Carrol Benner Kindel

Headshot of Folger Consort's Artistic co-Directors

Pre-concert discussion
Friday, May 2

Join Christopher Kendall and Robert Eisenstein, co-Artistic Directors of the Folger Consort, for a lively discussion with guest artists from 7:00pm-7:30pm before the Friday, May 2 performance.

Free entry with concert ticket.

Related events

Early Music Seminar: Kings and Commonwealth

Early Music Seminar: Kings and Commonwealth

Folger Consort Artistic Director Robert Eisenstein leads a lively virtual seminar that offers a sneak peek at the music performed in the Folger Consort’s upcoming "Kings and Commonwealth: The English Civil War."
Wed, Apr 30, 2025 at 6pm ET
Virtual - Zoom

Dates & Tickets

Folger Theatre

Pre-concert discussion from 7:00pm-7:30pm. Free entry with concert ticket.

From: $45.00
Book Now
Folger Theatre
From: $45.00
Book Now
Folger Theatre
From: $20.00
Book Now
Folger Theatre
From: $45.00
Book Now Limited Tickets