With their concert, The Playfords transport audiences to the musical London of the 17th century, a time when music and dance were part of everyday life. Named after the famous London music publishers John and Henry Playford, the ensemble draws on the repertoire that once filled townhouses, meeting halls, and dance halls. The 17th-century Playfords published collections such as The English Dancing Master, thereby popularizing dances and melodies that had a lasting impact far beyond their own time.

Especially in an era marked by political upheaval, the plague, and the Great Fire of London, music offered distraction, comfort, and a shared experience. It was sung, played, and danced – not as a distant art form, but as a vibrant social practice. Today, The Playfords carry on this tradition: With historical knowledge, improvisational freedom, and great enthusiasm, they bring the music to life anew.

The audience is not merely listeners but is expressly invited to join in the dancing. Thus, the concert becomes an immediate experience of what this music originally was: a convivial, lively, and unifying art form. Amid historical ballads, virtuoso instrumental pieces, and lively dances, a vibrant dialogue emerges between past and present – a celebration that makes the freshness and vitality of this music palpable to this day.