Early Music Fora
These regional Fora were born out of a growing movement in the late 1970s to make early music more accessible beyond London. Following a landmark conference in 1977 titled The Future of Early Music in Britain, NWEMF was the first Forum to be founded. Since then, the network has expanded significantly, now covering most parts of the UK.
Each Forum operates independently, running its own programme of practical workshops and events throughout the year. These are open to anyone interested in early music – you don’t have to live in the region to take part. Joining a Forum is a great way to stay connected with early music activity near you, and members usually benefit from discounted workshop fees. Many participants belong to more than one Forum. Click on the interactive map below with links to each of the EMFs.
| BMEMF (Border Marches) | www.bmemf.org.uk |
| EEMF (Eastern) | www.eemf.org.uk |
| EMF Scotland | www.emfscotland.org.uk |
| MEMF (Midlands) | memf.org.uk |
| NEEMF (North Eastern) | www.neemf.org.uk |
| NWEMF (North Western) | nwemf.org |
| SEMF (Southern) | semf.org.uk |
| SWEMF (South West) | www.swemf.org.uk |
| TVEMF (Thames Valley) | www.tvemf.org.uk |
Resources
| Andrew Benson-Wilson Early Music Reviews | andrewbensonwilson.org |
| Continuo Connect | www.continuoconnect.com |
| Continuo Foundation | www.continuofoundation.co.uk |
| Early Dance Circle | www.earlydancecircle.co.uk |
| Early Music Diary | earlymusicdiary.org.uk |
| Early Music as Education | www.emae.co.uk |
| Early Music Muse | earlymusicmuse.com |
| Early Music Shop | earlymusicshop.com |
| Dr Francis Knights Musicologist & Editor | www.francisknights.co.uk |
| Loki Music | www.lokimusic.co.uk/ |
| Lute Society | www.lutesociety.org |
| Making Music | makingmusic.com |
| Musical & Amicable Society | www.amicables.co.uk |
| National Centre for Early Music | ncem.co.uk |
| National Early Music Association | nema.org.uk |
| Northern Renaissance Instruments Stockport | www.nristringshop.co.uk |
| Otley Baroque Concert series in Otley | otleybaroque.wordpress.com/ |
| Recorders for Sale | recordersforsale.com |
| REMA/Early Music in Europe | rema-eemn.net |
| Royal Northern College of Music | www.rncm.ac.uk |
| Schola Gregoriana | www.scholagregoriana.org |
| Scottish Recorder Course | scottishrecordercourse.wordpress.com |
| Society of Recorder Players (SRP) | www.srp.org.uk |
| * SRP Cumbria | www.srp.org.uk/cumbria |
| * SRP Manchester | www.srp.org.uk/manchester |
| * SRP Macclesfield | www.srp.org.uk/macclesfield |
| Used Baroque and Early Music Instruments Europe (Facebook group) | www.facebook.com/groups/164307747566528 |
| Viol de Gamba Society | vdgs.org.uk |
Early Music Festivals
| Banbury Early Music Festival | banburyearlymusicfestival.weebly.com |
| Beverley & East Riding Early Music Festival | ncem.co.uk/whats-on/bemf |
| Brighton Early Music Festival | www.bremf.org.uk |
| Bristol Early Music Festival | www.bristolearlymusicfestival.uk |
| Keble Early Music Festival | www.keble.ox.ac.uk/events/ |
| Lake District Music | www.ldsm.org.uk |
| Leicester Early Music Festival | www.earlymusicleicester.co.uk |
| Lewes Baroquefest | www.lewesbaroquefest.org/ |
| London International Festival of Early Music | lifem.org |
| Medieval Music in the Dales | www.medievalmusicinthedales.org |
| Stour Music – Festival of Early Music Kent | www.stourmusic.org.uk |
| Worcestershire Early Music | www.earlymusicworcs.org |
| York Early Music Festival | ncem.co.uk/whats-on |
Choirs and Ensembles
Residential & Short Courses – UK and Abroad
| Accord Music Cordes-sur-Ciel, France | www.moulindecajarc.com |
| Baroque Week Caversham, Berkshire | baroqueweek.uk |
| Benslow Music Hitchin, Hertfordshire | benslowmusic.org |
| Cambridge Early Music Summer Schools | www.cambridgeearlymusic.org |
| Cambridge Institute for Renaissance Studies | www.cirs.org.uk |
| Cambridge Keyboard Academy | cambridge-keyboard-academy.webnode.co.uk |
| Cambridge Woodwind Makers | www.cambridgemakers.org |
| Chalemie Summer School Oakham, Rutland | www.chalemie.co.uk/SummerSchool |
| Le Chant de Oyseaux Choral singing courses, Beaujolais, France | www.lechantdesoyseaux.fr |
| Consort de Danse Baroque Bath and Cardiff | www.ukbaroquedance.com |
| Country Choral Singing weekends in the Yorkshire Dales | countrychoral.co.uk |
| Dorset Bach Cantata Club Sturminster Newton, Devon | info073404.wixsite.com/dbcc |
| Easter Early Music Course Monmouth | easterearlymusiccourse.org.uk |
| Halsway Manor Crowcombe, West Somerset | halswaymanor.org.uk |
| Hawkwood Collage Stroud, Gloucestershire | www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk |
| Higham Hall Cockermouth, Cumbria | highamhall.com |
| Historical Dance Society London & West Midlands | historicaldance.org.uk |
| Historically Informed Summer School Beverley, Yorkshire | www.hiss.org.uk |
| Irish Recorder and Viol Course County Louth, Ireland | irishrecorderandviolcourse.org |
| Jackdaws Music Education Trust Frome, Somerset | www.jackdaws.org.uk |
| Lacock Throughout UK and Abroad | www.lacock.org |
| Music Summer School and Festival Holt, Norfolk (formerly Dartington International Summer School) | www.mssf.org.uk |
| NORVIS Barnard Castle, County Durham | norvis.org.uk |
| Recorders for All Throughout UK | www.recordersforall.org.uk |
| Rondo Viol Academy Throughout UK | www.rondoviolacademy.co.uk |
| Run by Singers Throughout UK and Abroad | runbysingers.org |
| Society of Recorder Players Manchester Branch | www.srp.org.uk/manchester |
| West Dean College London | www.westdean.ac.uk/short-courses |
