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Anthony Rooley
Anthony Rooley
Anthony Rooley
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Anthony Rooley (born 10 June 1944 in Leeds) is a British lutenist.

Career

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In 1969, Rooley founded and directed the early music ensemble The Consort of Musicke, which continues to be one of the chief vehicles for his inspiration, among many other activities and interests. He has recorded extensively and continues to perform solo and duo repertoire with sopranos Evelyn Tubb and former partner Emma Kirkby.[citation needed]

Anthony was appointed York Early Music Festival vice president in 2008. He continues regular work as a visiting professor at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where he is director of AVES - Advanced Vocal Ensemble Studies.[1] Most recently he has been appointed a visiting professor at the Orpheus Institute, Ghent, under the heading "Developing a Practical Philosophy of Performance." In 2003, 2005 and 2007 he undertook four-month residencies at Florida State University, holding graduate seminars and directing productions. In 2003 this included a fully staged version of Semele by John Eccles; in 2005 a ‘first’ Conference on John Eccles; 2007 focused on The Passions of William Hayes.[citation needed]

Writing and research are of great importance, to develop and extend the repertoire; plans for the future include more time for writing. Recently, Anthony has turned to the 18th and 19th centuries, as part of his continuing project to search out the best of forgotten English music. In 2004 he directed performances, live and on CD, of the madrigals and part-songs of Robert Lucas Pearsall, and in 2005 The Passions by Handel’s contemporary and champion, William Hayes, which was revived for the Weimar Festival in 2006.[citation needed]

Works

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Discography
  • Renaissance Duets (L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1972) with James Tyler
  • My Lute Awake! (L'Oiseau-Lyre SOL 336, 1974) with James Tyler
  • Greensleeves - Lautenmusik der Renaissance (Decca 6.48183 DM, 1981) with James Tyler
Books written
  • Performance: Revealing the Orpheus Within (1990)
Books transcribed and edited
  • Renaissance Lute Fantasias (1980)
  • XII Wonders of the World: 1611 / John Maynard (1985)
  • Ayres, c. 1609 / George Handford with Francis Steele (1988)

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Anthony Rooley

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''Anthony Rooley'' is a British lutenist and early music specialist renowned for founding and directing The Consort of Musicke, a pioneering ensemble dedicated to the performance and revival of Renaissance and early Baroque vocal and instrumental repertoire. His work has emphasized forgotten masterpieces of the 16th and 17th centuries, including madrigals and secular songs by lesser-known composers such as John Coprario, Sigismondo d'India, Barbara Strozzi, and Giaches de Wert, through extensive discographies on labels including l'Oiseau-Lyre, Harmonia Mundi, Hyperion, and his own Musica Oscura imprint. Rooley's approach to performance is distinguished by its bold dynamics, theatricality, and integration of gesture and choreography, drawing inspiration from 16th-century philosophy—particularly Marsilio Ficino—to achieve an "Orphic" effect that engages the senses and leads the listener toward the divine. Rooley began his musical journey as a classical guitarist, studying at the Royal Academy of Music under Hector Quine, before self-teaching the lute and transcribing works from library sources. He co-founded The Consort of Musicke in 1969 with James Tyler, initially concentrating on instrumental and single-voice secular music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque. A 1978 grant from the British Arts Council and a Decca recording contract enabled the ensemble's deeper exploration of madrigal repertory, establishing Rooley's international reputation in the field. In addition to his performing career, he has authored the influential book Performance: Revealing the Orpheus Within (1990).

Early Life and Education

Early Life and Education

Anthony Rooley was born on 10 June 1944 in Leeds, England. He pursued his initial musical training as a classical guitarist, studying under Hector Quine at the Royal Academy of Music. During his time at the academy, Rooley felt like a "misfit" in the young performance program. He began teaching himself to play the lute, making his own transcriptions from the academy's library. In reflecting on this period, he has described himself as essentially self-taught on the instrument, noting his independent and determined approach to learning. Following graduation, Rooley returned to the Royal Academy of Music in a teaching capacity. His self-directed work with the lute during his student years marked an early shift toward early music that would define his subsequent career.

Career

Founding and Work with the Consort of Musicke

Anthony Rooley co-founded the Consort of Musicke in 1969 with lutenist and viol player James Tyler. From its inception, the ensemble concentrated on instrumental performances of late Renaissance and early Baroque secular music, frequently adding a single voice to the texture. In 1978, following a grant from the British Arts Council and a new recording contract with Decca, Rooley led the Consort in a major shift toward specialization in madrigal repertory. The ensemble became known for freely alternating between all-vocal and accompanied forces, employing bold elasticity of dynamics and phrasing, and incorporating audible theatricality that is intensified in live performances through gesture and choreography. These dramatic approaches stem from Rooley's engagement with the philosophical contexts of the period. Many significant vocal collaborations, including those with sopranos Emma Kirkby and Evelyn Tubb, originated within the Consort's framework. The Consort of Musicke served as a primary vehicle for Rooley's work during its most active period.

Performance Career and Collaborations

Anthony Rooley has sustained a long and influential performance career as a lutenist, emphasizing solo lute repertoire while forging intimate duo partnerships with sopranos to explore Renaissance and early Baroque song. He has maintained an ongoing duo collaboration with soprano Evelyn Tubb, following an earlier and formative partnership with soprano Emma Kirkby that helped bring renewed attention to historical lute-accompanied vocal music. Rooley has also performed frequently in duo settings with lutenist James Tyler, focusing on Renaissance lute duets and shared repertoire for plucked strings. His performances often reflect a theatrical dimension, incorporating gesture and expressive phrasing to heighten dramatic impact. Central to Rooley's artistic practice is a performance philosophy inspired by 16th-century sources, particularly Marsilio Ficino, which seeks an "Orphic" mode of delivery capable of guiding the listener's soul—through the medium of the senses—into direct contact with the Divine. This vision is elaborated in his book Performance: Revealing the Orpheus Within, which draws on Neoplatonic ideas to frame music-making as a transformative ritual revealing an inner Orpheus in both performer and audience. Between 2004 and 2006 Rooley extended his performance activities to later English repertoire, directing live presentations of madrigals and part-songs by Robert Lucas Pearsall in 2004 and reviving William Hayes' The Passions in 2005, with a further presentation at the Weimar Festival in 2006.

Recordings and Discography

Anthony Rooley's extensive discography is particularly noted for its focus on lesser-known composers of the 17th century, often through integral recordings of complete published collections. These include works by John Coprario, Sigismondo d'India, Henry Lawes, Biagio Marini, Barbara Strozzi, Giaches de Wert, and John Ward. His recordings, frequently made with the Consort of Musicke under his direction, emphasize bold phrasing and theatricality in the interpretation of madrigals, ayres, and related repertory. Rooley's output has appeared on prominent early music labels such as L'Oiseau-Lyre, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Hyperion, Virgin, and ASV. In 1993, he co-founded Musica Oscura, his own label in partnership with Arjen Terpstra, which issued no fewer than twenty recordings by the Consort of Musicke, many devoted to under-explored Italian and English vocal music of the period. Early in his career, Rooley collaborated with fellow lutenist James Tyler on duo recordings, including Renaissance Duets (1972) and My Lute Awake! (1974), both released on L'Oiseau-Lyre and showcasing Renaissance lute music. Notable later examples include the Consort of Musicke's Hyperion recording of Henry Lawes' Sitting by the Streams (Psalms, Ayres and Dialogues) in 1984 and John Ward's Sweet Philomel & other madrigals, alongside projects such as Sigismondo d'India's contributions to Olympia's Lament with soprano Emma Kirkby.

Publications and Editorial Work

Anthony Rooley has made significant contributions to early music scholarship through his authored book and editorial work on historical editions. His book Performance: Revealing the Orpheus Within (1990), published by Element Books, examines the essence of musical performance by drawing on the mythological figure of Orpheus as a symbol for the performer's inner transformation and creative power. The text integrates Renaissance philosophical concepts, including ideas from Marsilio Ficino on divine inspiration and frenzy, alongside discussions of sprezzatura, grazia, and the spiritual relationship between performer, music, and audience. Rooley emphasizes the performer's role in achieving harmony between body and soul while evoking emotional and ritualistic responses in listeners. Rooley's editorial efforts have focused on transcribing and editing key works from the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, making them available for contemporary study and performance. In 1980, he edited 21 Renaissance Lute Fantasias, published by Early Music Centre Publications, which presents transcriptions of solo lute pieces from original sources accompanied by commentary. He followed this with the transcription and edition of The XII Wonders of the World (1611) by John Maynard, issued by Stainer & Bell in 1985, bringing attention to this collection of character songs for voice, lute, and viola da gamba. In collaboration with Francis Steele, Rooley transcribed and edited Ayres (c. 1609) by George Handford, published by Stainer & Bell in 1988 as part of the English Lute Songs series, providing modern access to these early 17th-century vocal works with lute accompaniment. These editions underscore his commitment to reviving lesser-known repertory while preserving historical authenticity.

Academic and Institutional Roles

Teaching Positions and Residencies

Anthony Rooley has maintained an active presence in higher education through various teaching positions, visiting professorships, and residencies focused on early music performance and vocal studies. He held a permanent teaching position at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis from 1999 to 2018, where he served as Director of AVES (Advanced Vocal Ensemble Studies) from its inception in 2008 and exerted profound influence on vocal training alongside Evelyn Tubb over several decades. He was appointed visiting professor at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent, with a focus on "Developing a Practical Philosophy of Performance." Rooley also held four-month residencies at Florida State University in 2003, 2005, and 2007, during which he directed graduate seminars and productions; these included a fully staged production of John Eccles' Semele in 2003, the first John Eccles conference in 2005, and performances of William Hayes' The Passions in 2007.

Media Contributions

Anthony Rooley has made limited but notable contributions to film and television, primarily sharing his expertise in Renaissance lute music as a performer, contributor, or commentator. He is credited as performer of "Volta a 4" (by John Dowland, performed by The Consort of Musicke conducted by Rooley) on the soundtrack of the film Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). These contributions align with his long-standing specialization in early plucked instruments. Rooley provided commentary as a musicologist and historian in the 2007 DVD release The Journey & The Labyrinth: The Music of John Dowland, associated with Sting's album Songs from the Labyrinth, discussing John Dowland's Elizabethan lute songs and their historical context. Earlier in his career, Rooley had appearances related to his musical work, including as artistic director of The Consort of Musicke for BBC's Play of the Month in 1972 and as director of The Consort of Musicke / musical adviser for The King's Singers TV series in 1984 (6 episodes). These media engagements highlight his role in bringing historical music to broader audiences through visual and broadcast formats.
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