The Musicians of the Egg will present a concert that celebrates good cheer in the middle of winter, featuring music from the European Renaissance. The musicians will perform chansons, madrigals, dance tunes, motets and fantasias from the 15th and 16th centuries on a range of period instruments that include flute, hurdy gurdy, flutes, recorders and percussion, along with vocals.
The program is designed to bring a note of warmth to brighten the darker days of January, and takes place on January 24. It features music by a number of composers, including Lassus, Byrd, Campion, Weelkes, Crequillon, Eccard, and Morley, among others.
The Musicians of the Egg
The Musicians of the Egg include former members of the Toronto Consort, along with colleagues who’ve collaborated on projects in the past. They are brought together by a wish to make music together once again, something they were reminded of when the group was invited to perform at the Toronto Music Garden in July 2025.
On that occasion, the Toronto Music Garden publicist asked for a photo to use, and since the group didn’t have one immediately available, they searched for a painting that dated from the European Renaissance that would convey their cameraderie. The Concert of the Egg was painted by a follower of Hieronymous Bosch, and depicts several people making music in a large egg, joined by birds and other creatures. The picture fit the vibe, and even the egg as a symbol of renewed life resonated.
Hence, The Musicians of the Egg was hatched.
Michele Deboer, soprano
Michele DeBoer is based in the GTA, and performs regularly as a soloist and ensemble member with several organizations. While singing a broad range of repertoire, she has a particular passion for Early Music, which led to regular performances with Tafelmusik and the former Toronto Consort. Career highlights so far have included performing L’Amour in Lully’s Persée with Opera Atelier in Toronto and Versailles, and singing in Tehillim and Music for 18 Musicians with Soundstreams for Steve Reich’s 80th birthday celebration, among others.
Laura Pudwell, mezzo-soprano
Laura Pudwell is a GRAMMY-nominated artist who has performed internationally in London, Paris, Salzburg, Houston, Vienna, and Boston. She sings a wide range of repertoire that includes both Early Music and contemporary works, and has performed on several acclaimed recordings. She has appeared in many operas presented by Boston Early music, and as a frequent guest of both national and international presenters, she has worked with conductors such as Hans Graf, Hervé Niquet, Andrew Parrott, Ivars Taurins, David Fallis, Brian Jackson, John Sinclair, Bernard Labadie, Lydia Adams, Howard Dyck and Robert Cooper. Laura has performed across Canada with Opera Atelier, the Calgary Opera, Vancouver Early Music, and Festival Vancouver, among others.
Cory Knight, tenor
Cory Knight earned a Master of Arts in Historical Performance Practice from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland, and an Advanced Diploma in vocal performance from the Glenn Gould School. He performs as a soloist and in various ensembles, and has sung at major festivals across Europe, including the Utrecht Early Music Festival, Trigonale Early Music Festival, and the Baroque Music Festival in Ambronay, France. In Canada, highlights include performances with Pacific Opera Victoria, Les Violons du Roy, Opera Atelier, La Chapelle de Québec, and Soundstreams. He has also contributed to several recordings.
Olivier Laquerre, baritone
Olivier Laquerre enjoys a varied international career, and is a longstanding member of Toronto’s Opera Atelier. He has appeared in more than 25 productions with OA, including the title role in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), and Arbace (Idomeneo), among others. With OA, he sang the dual roles of Céphée and Méduse in Lully’s Persée in Toronto and at the Opéra Royal de Versailles, and was featured in a CBC documentary. He is a regular guest at the Boston Early Music Festival, appearing in numerous productions and recordings. Olivier is also an active member of the Canadian Armed Forces, where he serves as a horn player. He has just completed two consecutive seasons as Drum Major of the Ceremonial Guard on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Ben Grossman, percussion & hurdy gurdy
Improviser, studio musician, composer, and noisemaker Ben Grossman is a musician and sound artist. He’s played on more than 100 CDs, along with soundtracks for both film and TV, and composed music and created sound design for theatre, dance, and installations. He’s worked on everything from medieval to experimental music using his tools of choice, including electronics, percussion, and a favourite, the vielle à roue (hurdy gurdy), a contemporary electro-acoustic string instrument with roots in the European middle ages.
Alison Melville, recorder & flute
Alison Melville began playing the recorder in a school classroom in London (UK), and has since branched out to include historical flutes. Her career as a performer has taken her across North America, as well as to New Zealand, Iceland, Japan and Europe, most recently to Spain. Career highlights include playing on the soundtracks of The Tudors, Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter, and for CBC’s The Friendly Giant. Alison has performed with a wide variety of ensembles, and currently plays regularly with Tafelmusik. She is a past member of Ensemble Polaris and the Toronto Consort. Her contributions appear on 65 albums. Alison taught for many years at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and for other universities, colleges and workshops across North America.
Jonathan Stuchbery, lute
Based in Toronto, musician Jonathan Stuchbery specializes in instruments of the lute and guitar family. He has performed across Canada and beyond with ensembles and artists such as Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Arion Orchestre Baroque, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Alberta, Rosa Barocca, Capella Intima, and Dame Emma Kirkby. As Duo Oriana with soprano Sinéad White, Jonathan has toured throughout Canada, the UK, and Ireland, including features with the English Lute Society (London), at Windsor Castle, and with Early Music America. Their first CD How Like a Golden Dream was released in 2023 under the Leaf Music label. Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Music in Guitar and Lute from McGill’s Schulich School of Music, and went on to study Early Music performance at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. Jonathan is also a member of Toronto Renaissance vocal quintet Diapente.
The Musicians of the Egg: Winter’s Delight
The concert takes place January 24, 2026 at St Thomas’s Anglican Church in Toronto, with its gorgeous acoustics.
- Find tickets and other concert details [HERE].
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