The Gabrieli Consort and Players are a vocal and instrumental ensemble, founded by British conductor Paul McCreesh in 1982 to perform Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. They made their recorded debut in 1987, performing the works of Giacomo Carissimi. But it was their 1990 follow-up, A Venetian Coronation, 1595, featuring the compositions of the ensemble’s namesakes Andrea Gabrieli and his nephew Giovanni, that really put the group on the map. Ever since, they have been in demand at concerts and festivals all over Europe and the United States. The ensemble’s third album, 1993’s Venetian Vespers, captured the organic blend of vocals and brass, while the acoustics of the church itself lent even more to the authenticity of the experience. Since then, the Gabrieli Consort and Players have built a formidable discography covering Purcell, Mendelssohn, and more, and they have won critical praise for both their historical accuracy and their impassioned performing style.