The Basilinda Consort is an early music ensemble founded in 2023 dedicated to exploring the musical lives of English Christian women religious. Focused on exiled English convent music, they explore the rich history of medieval and early modern English women as singers, players, composers, commentators, writers, and even bookbinders. From Tromba Marinas to Dutch ditties, they find the nooks and crannies of music history and bring their sounds to life.

The ensemble’s name is inspired by the opening lyrics from an anonymous song - ‘Hail, Basilinda!’ - made for a nun at the English Benedictine convent at Dunkirk on January 27, 1686.

The term ‘Basilinda’ was defined in multiple mid-to-late 17th-century texts as an ancient Greek game, in which a mock ruler was chosen by chance. Other sources define it as a game for Twelfth night, rituals for which occurred in late Medieval and early modern England at varying points around Epiphany, Candlemas, Shrove Tuesday, or Septuagesima. These rituals also often featured the selecting of a mock ruler through lots. There is evidence that such rituals took place in early modern English convents, with recreations before Lent including such rituals, in which a nun was selected by chance to essentially be ‘queen’ for a week of recreation (in one case, via cakes with beans in them).

As Twelfth Night invites a spirit of anarchy, so too does the Early Music tradition. Disputing traditional notions of who is really “in charge”, the consort aims for a more collaborative, equitable rehearsal process, and a more exciting performance experience for all involved.

Dr Caro Lesemann-Elliott (founder and director) is an Oxford-based early music specialist with a special interest in gender, sexuality, social hierarchies, and urban space in early modern Europe. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Caro originally trained as a violist before undertaking Bachelor’s in Music from the University of Edinburgh. They completed their master’s degree in Advanced Musical Studies at Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL) in August of 2019, and stayed for their doctoral studies. They achieved their PhD in Musicology in July of 2022, with a dissertation focusing on music cultures at exiled English convents over the 17th and 18th centuries. Following their PhD, they undertook a Bodleian Visiting Fellow in Music in autumn of 2023. They now hold a post-doctoral research assistant position on the Music, Heritage, and Place project, a collaboration between RHUL, Newcastle University, and county record offices across England, funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and led by Professor Stephen Rose (RHUL), Professor Kirsten Gibson and Nancy Kerr (Newcastle University).