A Golden Wire

Since its founding in 2019, A Golden Wire has established itself as a distinctive presence on the early music scene in North America. The group began as a duo, exploring the intriguing possibilities for combining the viol and harp, a pairing of which Francis Bacon once remarked, “some consorts are sweeter than others, as the Irish-Harp and Base-Vial agree well.” A Golden Wire soon forged its identity by showcasing the potential of two peculiar instruments in the repertoire of early modern England and France, and by highlighting the influence of musicians from the British Isles on the rapid diversification of 17th-century chamber music. The ensemble’s repertoire spans the late 16th to the early 18th centuries, stretching from Italy to the Hanseatic cities.