Eli Parish of Teignmouth in Devon became one of Europe’s most celebrated virtuosos.

In England’s brief but dismal experiment as a Republic, Playford saved traditional English dance music from destruction.

‘Rule Britannia’ was a discreet way of telling a German prince what was expected of a British King.

An 18th century bon viveur and virtuoso violinist, Thomas Erskine is currently being ‘rediscovered’ by the classical music industry.

Handel called it ‘Air and Variations’, but by Charles Dickens’s day everyone knew it as ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith’.

The chapel of Bede’s monastery in Sunderland was full of the colours and sounds of the far-off Mediterranean world.