Passacaglia

Ensemble Passacaglia came into being about five years ago, as three musicians performing early music with various groups became interested in the striking combination of wind instruments, plucked strings and percussion. A mutual affinity for music from the medieval and renaissance periods (13th - 17th century) brought them together as accompanists for the renaissance vocal group The Solstice Singers, and soon thereafter they began giving concerts as a trio. The group includes Jan Elliott on winds, Lisa Esperson on percussion, and Molly Johnston on bowed strings (treble, tenor and bass violas da gamba).

Since its founding, Ensemble Passacaglia has gradually branched outward in both time and space, performing more recent compositions from the near east and other countries. In addition to its usual array of secular instrumental pieces from medieval and renaissance Europe, concerts have included relatively modern pieces from Turkey, Egypt, Ireland and America.

Woods Hole resident Jan Elliott (recorder, crumhorn) studied recorder as a youngster with Ruth Guillard and Pat Brown. At Wesleyan University, she developed a particular interest in medieval, renaissance and baroque music as well as traditional folk music from many parts of the world. She taught at Boston University for 7 years and later received an MA in dance anthropology from UCLA. She currently teaches recorder to adults and children; in addition to Ensemble Passacaglia, she performs with The Brentwood Consort, Philidor and Oyez! as well as the folk group Beggars Description and the Vineyard Swordfish dancers.

Lisa Esperson (percussion) got her start in early music by singing and playing percussion for the group In Praise of Folly, which performed at the Boston Early Music Festival in 1991. Dr. Esperson teaches percussion to adults and teens in the Falmouth community with an emphasis on traditional rhythms and techniques, and directs the world percussion group Explicit Noise.  She studied Arabic dumbek and riq (tambourine) with master percussionist Karim Mohammed at New England Conservatory. "The best thing about early music for percussion," she says, "is that it is mostly improvisational, since there are almost no written scores for the drum."

Molly Johnston (viola da gamba) holds degrees in music history from Wellesley College and Yale.  She has directed the Collegium Musicum at Duke University, the Utah Shakespearean Festival Consort, and Quidam Musici in New Haven, CT.  She was Musician-In-Residence at North Carolina State University and has taught at the Viola da Gamba Society Conclave and Pinewoods Early Music Camp.  She resides in Waquoit, plays with The Brentwood Consort, and is an avid sailor and pilot.