The Original Renaissance Fair: The Field of the Cloth of Gold

 

Sunday, March 8, 2026, 4PM

Emmanuel Parish Hall, 16 Washington St., Cumberland, MD

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In 1520, there was a nearly three-week summit meeting between Henry VIII of England and François I of France.  The two courts put on one of the most opulent displays of wealth in history.  Each king tried to outshine the other, with dazzling tents and clothes, huge feasts, music, jousting and games. The tents and the costumes used so much gold cloth (an expensive fabric woven with silk and gold thread) that the site of the meeting was named after it. At the time, music was another aspect of displaying wealth and power, so each monarch brought their court composers: Henry with Robert Fayrfax and Willam Cornysh, and François with Jean Mouton. Among the choirs and instrumentalists were brass players, so on this concert the instrumentalists will include the early brass ensemble, Synnet.

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Fans of Wolf Hall may recognize famous names among the thousands of lords and ladies who were in attendance: English Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Katherine of Aragon (still Henry’s wife) and Anne Boleyn (she came with the French Court and this was perhaps the first time he met her.)

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The concert will be held in Emmanuel Episcopal Church’s English-style Parish Hall, which will be decorated with festive hangings provided by Lynne Dale..  Join us in our first return to the splendors of the Renaissance in several years—come and enjoy!