We are five women, born in four decades of the last century, who bring a hundred different perspectives to our music making. Each has our own musical inner life; together we share the sum of our study and work. We are every teacher who encouraged us, every fiddler who thrilled us, every mentor who showed us the way. Some of us spent years in university and conservatory practice rooms; others spent countless days listening to the legends play and nights in pubs learning tunes. From these very different elements Ensemble Galilei was formed.

Irish rebels, Scottish Strayspeys, and Slow Airs belong together. Deb, Liz, and Sue are masterful at arranging great traditional sets. A French Musette works nicely with the La Folia variations by Maria Marais, and including some variations by Corelli is hardly a leap. I grew up with counterpoint; SarahÕs passion is the Baroque. And original tunes in the traditional style make a lot of sense next to traditional tunes played originally.

But how do all these pieces from different worlds go together? What is the connective tissue? What do we think about historical performance practice? About stylistic integrity? How do we decide?

Ensemble Galilei starts at the beginning. We are committed to making music fiercely. We find music that speaks deeply to us, and we honor the traditions and dialects of each musical language. We talk about where the theory of musicology meets the practical reality of performance. We decide who knows the most, we listen to how it should be done, and we go off to practice.

We come back and sort through the list of pieces we hold dear. Then we start the real work of making music. Beyond questions, beyond practice, we find the place where our personal history intersects the melody, harmony, bass or chords. Revealed in these musical conversations are the essential parts of our own humanity, and the universal memory that is expressed in music. From the courts of medieval Spain and 18th century France, to the isles of Scotland and Ireland, our concerts reflect the quintessential Ensemble Galilei, for the connective tissue is us.