Henry VIII vied with the Doge of Venice for the services of the super musical Bassano family; six brothers skilled in performing, composing, instrument making and repairing. In 1540 he appointed them “in the science of art and music”, after which members of the family provided court musicians continuously for 125 years, and incredibly, Bassanos are prominent musician in England to this day. By far the most controversial member of the family is daughter Emilia, the Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s sonnets, who according to the latest research may well have actually been Shakespeare himself!Intrigued? Judge for yourself and discover more at Robert Small’s talk where he will be joined by Consort 8, who will play compositions by the Bassanos and their contemporaries.Event details:Sunday 8th December, 2.30pmFine Music Centre, 76 Chandos Street, St LeonardsCost: $15, or $5 for subscribers and volunteers