The Baltimore Consort

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The Baltimore Consort
Background information
Genre(s)	Early, Renaissnce,Classical and Folk
Years active	1980 to present
Label(s)	Dorian

The Baltimore Consort is a musical ensemble that performs a wide variety of early music, Renaissance music and music from later periods. 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 until very recently. Recent changes involve LaRue, who in 2004 went on indefinite leave and Norman has also recently left the group entirely.

The group has recorded 11 albums for Dorian, including a Christmas album, Bright Day Star, and a collection of bawdy songs with the a capella quartet called the Merry Companions, The Art of the Bawdy Song. Their various recordings also cover a number of the Child ballads.