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The musical group which performs under the upbeat name "Currende" was founded as early as 1974 by Erik van Nevel. The founding principle was always to gather "first-class singers," from 16 to 24 of them. The Currende Consort's repertory has centered in the 16th and early 17th centuries, though it has taken brief forays into both earlier and later music. The varied and spirited programs have run the gamut from Ciconia to Bach, with highlights including the music of Lasso, Carissimi, Schütz, Domenico Scarlatti, and Buxtehude, as well as a monumental 10-CD collection of the central "Netherlandish" masters -- Ockeghem, Dufay, Isaac, Obrecht, de la Rue, Josquin, Willaert, Gombert, and Lassus. When instruments are required, Erik van Nevel's parallel group Concerto Currende comes in. The Currende Consort has also collaborated with a number of Europe's finest Baroque orchestras, though it performs most often under van Nevel's direction, but has more recently also attracted a number of guest conductors, including Jos van Immerseel, Sigiswald Kuijken, and Rene Jacobs. Touring frequently to Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, and the Japanese islands, the Currende Consort has twice been given the honorific title "Cultural Ambassador of Flanders" (1994 and again in 1995).