Alison is a founder member of Chelys consort of viols where she enjoys researching, performing and recording programmes covering all aspects of consort music. She also has a particular interest in 'Renaissance' viols (early viols made with no soundpost) with The Linarol Consort, who play on copies of the earliest surviving viol made by Francesco Linarol. Alison has a great love of working with singers, and the affinity between the sound of the viol and the voice. One of her favourite places to be is as the gamba player with Musica Secreta, an all-female polyphonic ensemble specialising in the research and performance of music by and for early modern women. Venturing into the 18th Century with a beautiful 7-string viol named Flo, Alison plays with lutenist Lynda Sayce in Apollo's Revels, and the Christian Baroque ensemble Dei Gratia where she also plays baroque violin. Alison also loves making the music she enjoys accessible to as many people as possible - the best audience reactions are from people hearing something for the first time with no idea that they were going to enjoy it so much! That is a particular focus of the relatively new group, Sounds Historical, who aim to play in local churches to local audiences with fun and accessible programmes.
Alison read music at Oxford University before being given a scholarship by Trinity College of Music where she studied viol with Alison Crum, where she was awarded the college’s Silver Medal for Early Music Studies.
A keen teacher of both children and adults, Alison is a tutor on a number of Early Music courses including the Easter Early Music Course and Norvis, and she regularly leads workshops for the various Early Music Fora. She is co-director of Rondo Viol Academy, which runs weekend courses for players of all standards from Elementary to Advanced. Alison teaches viol and violin both privately and in schools.
