Everyman: Creating Music for Theatre

Composer, musician and Medieval music specialist, WIlliam Lyons in conversation with Matthew Scott, NT Head of Music.

In this illustrated discussion WIlliam Lyons talks about the musical style of this production, blending old and new to create the world of Everyman and his experience of working in different theatre including the Globe. William will also show some of the traditional instruments used in Everyman.

William Lyons is Director of the acclaimed early music ensembles The Dufay Collective and The City Musick. He is also a regular performer with leading early music groups such as The Gabrieli Consort. He is a music consultant, researcher and lecturer in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the Royal College of Music and until recently the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

William worked closely as collaborator and advisor with Damon Albarn on the creation of the innovative Dr Dee that successfully premiered at the Manchester International Festival and for the English National Opera. As a performer William can be heard on the soundtracks of of numerous films, including Robin Hood, Pride & Prejudice, The Hobbit and Les Miserables. William composes and arranges music for film and TV and on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban he was a performer and advisor to John Williams.

He has a long association with the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre as a composer, performer, Musical Director and Historical Music Adviser. At the Globe he has composed for Romeo and Juliet, Richard II, Much Ado about Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, The Winter's Tale, Coriolanus, Blue Stockings, In Extremis, Anne Boleyn and Dr Scroggy's War.