Minstrels Gallery were formed to bring early music to a new audience. The often lively and rhythmic vivacity of the music along with the unusual sound and appearance of the many instruments we play sparks the imagination of our listeners. This was born out by a series of events held in the Great Hall of the British Museum. A very diverse and mixed audience showed a lot of interest and asked many questions about the music and its performance.

This experience has led Minstrels Gallery to develop a number of concert formats where we not only perform but also explain the music, instruments and their historic setting. This along with our school visits, where children are given the opportunity to play on the many instruments we bring, has convinced us of the enduring delight that early music can create.

Full consort of renaissance recorders, renaissance flute, fife, pipe & tabor, tenor shawm, alto shawm, soprano shawm, curtal consort, bombarde, rauschpfeife, cornamuse, crumhorn consort, English small pipes, medieval great pipes, chalumeau, cornetto, gittern, lutes, renaissance guitar, cittern, plucked psaltery, gothic harp, rebec, viols, nakers, Spanish long drum, military side drum, tabors, triangle, riqq, tambourines, darabuka, castanets, crotales, medieval pitched bells.