n'Early Music Consort IF SAM

The n'Early Music Consort (or nMC), a filk choir based in the UK, made its debut in 1995 at Obliter-8 (the eighth British national filk convention). Their repertoire is eclectic: arrangements by members of the choir (predominently Rhodri) of filksongs; arrangements by filkers outside the choir of filksongs; choral pieces by composers such as J S Bach and R Vaughan Williams that have been subjected to the filk process; the oeuvre of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan; original choral pieces written for the choir; and in at least once instance a piece of found choral filk. Most songs are performed a capella. Some however have instrumental accompaniment, such as drum, guitar, bass, or more recently keyboards.

Unlike many choirs, it is quite usual for members to swap between vocal parts for different songs, depending upon the requirements of the song, the balance of the parts and that person's vocal range.

Dixseption the 17th annual British Filkcon in February 2005 marked the tenth consecutive filkcon at which the nMC had performed, and to celebrate the occasion they decided to something a little different ­ Light Opera. Gilbert & Sullivan's "Trial by Jury" was rewritten as "Trial & Worry - a typical nMC rehearsal" by D.J. and performed semi-staged by the choir.

In 1999 the nMC released a CD, "Voices Going West", which featured some of the most popular songs in the choir's repertoire to date. A short CD of Tolkien filks written by US filker Dave Weingart to popular tunes from Gillbert and Sullivan's Savoy Operas and performed by the Consort is also in the pipeline.

Apart from the annual British filkcons, the nMC have had sets as part of the main programme at the British National Science Fiction Convention (aka the Eastercon) and at FilkContinental in Germany. In March 2007 they were Guests of Honour at FilkOntario 17. They have gained two new members since then, bringing the current membership up to eighteen.

The members of The n'Early Music Consort are (for the sake of the 2007 Pegasus Awards): DJ Bass, Marion Beet, Abigail Crook, Deborah Crook, Chris Croughton, Simon Fairbourn, Rick Hewett, Valerie Housden, Rhodri James, Deborah Levy, Anna Raftery, Emily Raftery, Joe Raftery, Mich Sampson, Kate Soley-Barton, Marilisa Valtazanou, Richard Wheatley, and Tricia Williams.