This is one of Boston’s relatively many world-class music organizations. Founded in 1954 and directed by Joel Cohen since 1969 “to preserve and reawaken human memory of music,” they have researched and revived early-modern European and American music—the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras, especially of France, and of early America and the Shakers. They have over thirty recordings to their credit on leading labels, and have won major awards, including the Grand Prix du Disque (France) and the Edison Prize (Holland). They tour often and extensively, here and abroad, and still have time for local education and community outreach programs. In their first twenty years, they were associated with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and from 1981 to 2005 were often featured in the Boston Early Music Festival (Cat’97 et seq.) The variety of their musical repertoire reflects Mr. Cohen’s interests and versatility as director, musician (lute), and musicologist; he is an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), and winner of the Erwin Bodky Prize, the George Longy Award for Musical Artistry and Leadership (2002) and the Howard Mayer Brown Award for lifetime achievement in early music (2003). You are invited to participate.