The Wandering Bard ensemble began their journey with a goal and as it happens to all long lasting establishments, the goal evolved as the ensemble evolved.

The goal was simple; making their music high quality and sophisticated, yet approachable and appreciable.

Earliest works of the ensemble were built on the idea of merging the qualities of classical and folk music, with the desire to reach out to audiences that otherwise might not have heard the other side of the coin. This meant that the ensemble would approach either side of the repertory with equal respect and passion; blend elements of each side to create a new sound that was suitable for churches and concert halls as much as small theaters and cultural gathering spaces, all at once. 

This was a success. The Wandering Bard ensemble had given concerts internationally in all mentioned spaces; at times to hundreds of people, and at times to a handful of people. Both types of concerts had their unique outcomes the ensemble had desired all along; concert halls would amplify the depth, academicality and seriousness of their work, and small gatherings would create that magical atmosphere set by the “fire side bard” feeling where the audience would carry home not just memories of an amazing concert but one of those unique nights where drink is shared and stories are told. 

Both the classical and the folk music audience enjoyed the setlists of the ensemble enriched by repertoire that they were not accustomed to hear in their musical environments; blending jigs and reels with works of Henry Purcell, music attributed to King Henry VIII, pieces composed by John Dowland and anonymous bards of yore actually worked well together seamlessly. This was because the arrangements would nevertheless be done with the same approach regardless of the source of the repertory being “written tradition” or “oral tradition”; musically presenting the storyline told in between the pieces to create an arch over the selected repertoire; hinting the elements of the narrative with musical motives, dynamic changes, melodic dialogues; thus the musical language of The Wandering Bard was born.

As years went by, the members of the ensemble began to realize that what connected the dots between both audiences was more than just the blend of repertoires; and that the early music repertoire on its own was reaching to both places at once.

And so it began. The manuscripts. The era-appropriate instruments. The research. Countless days and nights with bent backs over editions of scores to do comparative analysis from. Combined with the troubadour-like storytelling the ensemble has been doing since the beginning. 

Now The Wandering Bard performs early music with a historically informed yet unique approach; their music is presented in arrangements the ensemble makes based on the manuscripts while reflecting the elements of the musical narratives they perform during their concerts and their album recordings which are available on all music streaming platforms.