Introducing the organisation

My lords, ladies, gentlemen & commoners, I crave youre attention to introduce you to the renowne Baroque-Folk band, the Rackett Companie of Musick .........our musicians!

A prettie company!

Despiteth wicked rumours spread by envious tongues, said companie declare they are not sparkish coxcombes, but are of but moderate manner, sounde wind & free of the pox, dropsie, plague or the shudders. They seeketh to bring to the populace the spirit of the Stuart Kings and the Commonwealth, the centurie of revolution, regicide, distempers, free-thinking & sexual licence, namely the Seventeenth Centurie [assuaging perfumed she-goats, punks & mountebanks].
Sent threw time by the navish trickerie of necromancers, the Rackett Companie of Musick are now available for the diversion and delight of those residents of qualitie in counties of Essex, Suffolk etc.
My lords, ladies, gentlemen, commoners & lesser orders (of sufficient means), the above companie of entertainers doth humbly crave your attention. Said Companie endeavour to make known that they are available for the making of the performing of certain plays and diversions playing of diverse instruments; & the singing of profane, lusty English songs, both for purposes of consort & for the accompanying of countrie dances and ; all together with transmission of scurrilous gossip about their betters.

This all started the band Andy Stevens and his wife started in 2004 with colleagues from Anglia Ruskin University. Their interest in Seventeenth Century secular music was generated from history of science & arts during this post-Renaissance period. The great scientists & architects were often also musicans, who enjoyed playing music in domestic settings - this was not a period of big public concerts (other than church music). They also were often attracted to early popular entertainment such as the theatre and tavern diversions. Links to Samuel Pepys, Anthony Wood & others (click on these names to find out more). The subject and style of music - the way it was played - appealed. An early version of the companie performed at the Music by the Lake festival in Suffolk in 2004 using mainly modern instruments.

The personnel changed. Adrian Lush, from the Early Music Forum, joined the band and there was a strong move towards the use of period instruments. The companie played at a couple of Colchester Castle events linked to the Colchester Festival & incidental music for a theatre production. When Ben Finn, violinist, and Dorian Kelly joined in 2006, we had become a reconstruction of a Restoration band of musicians (see the 'Knave' CD) playing folk festivals and history fairs: Group at Weald Downland Museum

16th Century costumes

In late 2007, we developed our own theatrical concert of winter songs which we perform annually in Essex medieval churches in December. This remains the main Companie and historical events are the main companie output, but since 2009 we still promote early English music through our new dance band - Rackett's Old English