The women behind the most exclusive musical club in history

The northern Italian city of Ferrara was one of Europe's political and cultural powerhouses throughout the 1500s. Yet it also had a thriving musical culture – one founded upon the unique talents of a set of quite extraordinary women, who honed their musical talents in almost total secrecy in convents and at secret concerts held in a tiny room within Ferrara's vast Castello.

As IWD 2017 approaches, Composer of the Week rediscovers the world of the singing ladies of Renaissance Ferrara.