The Baltimore Consort

The Baltimore Consort is a musical ensemble that performs a wide variety of Renaissance music. They began in 1980 as a group specializing in music of the Elizabethan period, but soon expanded their repertoire to include Scottish music, bro

The Baltimore Consort is a musical ensemble that performs a wide variety of Renaissance music. They began in 1980 as a group specializing in music of the Elizabethan period, but soon expanded their repertoire to include Scottish music, broadside ballads, and Italian, French, and other European music of the 16th and 17th centuries. Their music bridges the genres of classical and folk music.

The Baltimore Consort was founded by Roger Harmon, who formerly had taught lute at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. They performed together for 10 years before they released their first album for Dorian Recordings, a collection of Scottish music called On the Banks of the Helicon. At the time the ensemble consisted of Custer LaRue (soprano), Ronn McFarlane (lute), Mary Anne Ballard (viols, fiddle), Larry Lipkis (bass viol, recorder), Chris Norman (flutes, bagpipes, bodhran), Howard Bass (bandora), and Mark Cudek (cittern, bass viol). With the exception of Bass, the lineup has remained largely consistent since that time. The group's most recognizable feature is perhaps the distinctive voice of LaRue, who in 2004 has taken an indefinite leave, others notice the energetic playing of Norman, who has also recently left the group.