An English Garden with Folger Consort

Folger Consort presents An English Garden from May 8–10, 2026, at the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Elizabethan-style Theatre. This spring-inspired concert program celebrates the beauty of the season through 16th-century English music and poetry.

Curated by Mary Springfels, the performance features works by composers including William Byrd, Anthony Holborne, John Dowland, and Francis Cutting, alongside readings from Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, and Philip Sidney, performed by acclaimed DC actor Holly Twyford. The program evokes the rich cultural and artistic flourishing of the Tudor era, when gardens, music, and poetry were deeply intertwined.

Additional programming includes pre-show conversations with artists on May 8 and 9 (7:00–7:30 PM) and a virtual seminar on May 6 offering a preview of the music.