The Huelgas Ensemble was founded by Paul Van Nevel in 1970 at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Basle; it was named after a Cistercian monastery near Burgos. Initially it specialized in contemporary music but soon concentrated on the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, drawing closely on primary sources and making a vital contribution to the study of early music through its published research. The ensemble presents a surprising programme, with often unknown works from composers like Nicolas Gombert, Claude Le jeune, Johannes Ciconia, Pierre de Manchicourt...