 QuintEssential, director Richard Thomas
QuintEssential Sackbut and Cornett Ensemble was formed in 1993. Specialising in early music with an original and unusual repertoire, QuintEssential ensure that period brass instruments speak to a contemporary audience in an exciting and innovative voice. Over the past fifteen years, QuintEssential have performed at many of the major British festivals including York, Beverley, Norfolk & Norwich, Warwick & Leamington, Spitalfield's and Exeter, as well as in Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Slovenia, Belgium, Italy and Spain. In September 2002, QuintEssential was fortunate to be invited to perform a series of concerts in and around Bogotá, Colombia.
QuintEssential have released two commercial recordings, In Venetia (Meridian) a programme of north Italian instrumental music, and Elisa is the fayrest quene (Chandos), a commemorative disc marking the four hundredth anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth I; QuintEssential also appear on Ex Cathedra's three volumes of South American Baroque music (Hyperion). The ensemble has made regular appearances on BBC and commercial radio and television.
 In keeping with their philosophy to bring early music to as wide an audience as possible, QuintEssential have been highly active in an educational capacity through Yehudi Menuhin's Live Music Now! scheme. They have performed for all ages and abilities and brought music to those who might otherwise never experience it. Their rich and extensive knowledge of the historical and social importance of their unusual instruments adds a stimulating dimension to their programme and a high level of audience participation ensures an unforgettable experience.
"It is the band's ebullience and danceable vigour...that will win them the following they deserve." - Early Music Today
"QuintEssential were magnificent throughout. Crisp articulation and taut rhythmic playing were their hallmark....The current musical appetite for the Baroque seems insatiable, and not surprising if there are young ensembles of this calibre." (Norfolk & Norwich Festival 1997) - Frank Cliff, Eastern Daily News
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