From Jane Hines:

“EMP began in the fall of 2015, when the music department chair Professor Wendy Heller suggested that I revive the department’s lapsed early music ensemble, ‘Musica Alta’. Suddenly, I was in possession of the keys to the kingdom – access to a few rehearsal rooms and instrument lockers – and before I knew it, a program assembled itself, baroque bows were circulated, rehearsals planned, and a concert date fixed. Over the years that followed, directing EMP was a wonderful blur of learning experiences, challenges, scheduling conflicts, and – most importantly – exploring and performing music with wonderful colleagues and friends. The growth of the ensemble paralleled my own study of harpsichord and historically-informed performance practice, but that was just part of the experience I gained from EMP. Never could I have guessed that the job would entail navigating the Manhattan subway during rush hour with a consort of viols, playing tambourine in public, getting buff for harpsichord removal service, cataloguing krummhorns (which have remained unused, for better or for worse), tracking down far-flung baroque bows…and so on. I always hoped the essence of EMP would be a collaboration in the joy of making music, bringing members of the Princeton community together – graduate and undergraduate students, faculty and staff, seasoned professionals and passionate amateurs. I am struck with overwhelming gratitude to know that EMP continues in the hands of its intrepid director(s), despite distance and the technological obstacles of virtual music performance.”