1995-1996: Stefan, Danielle, Jill and Jeremy move to Arizona from
New Jersey. Stefan takes with him a pile of medieval instruments and a vision
of a versatile early music ensemble, forged from his experiences in prior
groups like Solstice, Signet Ring, Les Trouveres Retrouves and Roland Hutchinson's
Collegium Musicum of Montclair State University.
Spring 1996: Stef, Dan, Jill, Jerm and their new pal Jeff debut some Josquin, Claudin and Praetorius at a PEMS play-in under the name Musica Ficta. They like us!
Fall 1996: Musica Ficta crashes the Devonshire Renaissance Festival.
There we meet Pat Mack, who invites us to come back and officially perform
next year. We also meet the Queen (Mimi Altree) and her courtiers, including
countertenor and harpsichordist Curtis Taber.
Christmas 1996: Musica Ficta plays the first of several Borders 'in-store' performances, most of which pack the place thanks to the untiring efforts of Denise Kronsteiner.
1997: Curtis joins Musica Ficta, singing and playing percussion.
During this year, we meet Jim De Fazio at a PEMS play-in. Musica Ficta
takes part in the Dorian/EMA recording competition later that year.
1998: Curtis acquires a harpsichord, graciously donated from the Mesa Public School district via Debra Jo Gunby (later Davey). He refurbishes and refinishes this instrument himself. The Dorian/EMA competition winners are announced. We lost .
1999: Jill and Jeremy move back to the east coast. Jim joins the group to sing bass and play renaissance guitar, and Irene Rosenthal is recruited to play recorder. The name of the group is changed from Musica Ficta to Bartholomew Faire not only to reflect these changes, but also to emphasize our fun-lovin' nature. For a short time, gambist Monika plays with us, but she moves to Connecticut. Bartholomew Faire and Cappella Vallisolis do a joint concert of French renaissance music at the Kerr Cultural Center in Scottsdale. To celebrate the success of this concert, Stef swims naked in Jeff & Debra Jo's pool.
2000: during the first five months, Bartholomew Faire is on hiatus while Stef tours with the Arizona Theatre Company and Seattle Repertory Theatre in As You Like It. Upon arriving at home, Stef learns that Curtis has suddenly moved to Oregon. On 4 September, Stef gets a call from Mimi informing him that Curtis had died that day. At the Devonshire RF in November, friends join Bartholomew Faire in an evening candlelight outdoor memorial, sharing Curtis stories and singing Gibbon's The Silver Swanne, the Dies Irae sequence, Ford's Since First I Saw Your Face and Purcell's Thou Knowest, Lord.
April 2001: Bartholomew Faire presents The Red Book of Montserrat as part of the PEMS concert series at Kerr. It goes really well! Bartholomew Faire begins a relationship with Southwest Shakespeare Company, playing greenshows.
March 2002: Bartholomew Faire presents The Baby's Opera as part of the PEMS concert series at Kerr. We borrow Amy Haltom to play baroque violin for this event, which goes very well!