Major new record release by BBC New Generation Baroque Ensemble

Bellot Ensemble, the BBC New Generation Baroque Ensemble for 2025-27, have released their first studio album, Cupid's Ground Bass, featuring works by Francesco Cavalli, Andrea Falconieri, Barbara Strozzi, and more.

Recorded in the Edwardian church of St Barnabas, Walthamstow, by John Croft of Chiaro Audio, the music captures love’s extremes, from radiant joy to deep lament, with enduring themes linking arias and instrumental works in the vivid sound-world of 17th-century Italy.

Bellot Ensemble has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in the British Baroque & Early Music scene since its genesis in 2023. Following appearances at Brighton Early Music Festival, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht and Snape Maltings, Bellot Ensemble has been selected for the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme 2025-26, alongside the prestigious BBC accolade.

Cupid's Ground Bass was made possible by a Continuo Foundation grant in early 2024, with Continuo Founder & CEO Tina Vadaneaux commenting, ‘Bellot Ensemble is one of the most promising young Baroque ensembles in the UK, and we were delighted to support their debut album. They perform with exceptional skill and maturity, and it will serve to showcase a revolutionary period in musical history. We are proud to have played a part in giving Bellot Ensemble the chance to demonstrate their musicality on record, as they continue to garner the international recognition they deserve.’

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Cupid's Ground Bass is now available to purchase from First Hand Records and to stream on all major digital platforms. Visit our recording feature for further information.