New London Consort was a London-based Renaissance and Baroque music ensemble, which performed in most of Europe and various other parts of the world.
Founded and directed by Philip Pickett, most of its repertoire was recorded and broadcast by BBC (radio and television) and regularly appeared at major venues and festivals.
[2][5] One example is their version of Purcell's The Fairy Queen, which did not base its plot on A Midsummer Night's Dream; instead, its cast of nine singers and five circus artists were in modern dress, travelling to Arcadia.
[6] It was received enthusiastically by The Guardian,[7] but was criticised by London's Financial Times, which cited the production's being "divorced" from the Shakespeare play, calling it a "disappointment" and "uninteresting".
[2][5][10] They have recorded soundtracks for Channel 4's Tales from the Decameron, BBC TV's Shakespeare Series, and films such as Lady Jane, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, A Man for all Seasons, Hamlet, Dangerous Beauty, Nostradamus and Elizabeth.