As a group we pride ourselves on the energy and passion we give each and every performance along with our style specific improvisations. The group specialise in 17th century repertoire with research into written divisions and the contextual texts of the time. This practical research is always greatly influenced by our work with talented singers in our regular collaborations with consorts, choirs and opera societies. Bellot Ensemble were finalists in the Concours International de Musique Ancienne du Val de Loire in 2024 which greatly impacted the group and inspired them to delve much deeper into their specialised repertoire! took part in the Brighton Early Music Festival live scheme 2023/24, and have been working extensively with Sussex choral and opera societies ever since, the ensemble toured across the UK performing John Frederick Lampe’s “The Dragon of Wantley” with New Sussex Opera in 2024 conducted by Toby Purser (Head of Conducting at the RCM). The group has also been selected for the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist scheme 2024/25 thanks to BREMF! Bellot Ensemble also became Featured Artist in 2024 in the Overstrand Early Music Festival, collaborated with Norwich Baroque for a concert alongside a production of Dido and Aeneas at the festival. Recent notable performances include Festival Oude Musiek Utrecht, Newbury Spring Festival and recently at London Early Music Festival as finalists for their early music young ensemble competition. 

Residency project:

“Our project for this residency will be creating new instrumental arrangements of 17th century French songs with Honoré D’Ambruys’s Livre d’Airs as a central point of reference. We intend to investigate how diminutions in French vocal music from this period relate to the instrumental practices of the time, and how these ornamentations can be applied more broadly to other works in the same tradition. We will take a selection of popular airs from this time and over the residency create instrumental versions for a variety of combinations of instruments to create a varied program that presents well known works in a new way.”