Regarded by specialists and the general public alike as a reference in the interpretation of seventeenth-century instrumental music, particularly that of Italy and Germany, the ensemble constantly reaps the rewards for its recordings.

When they decided to form Les Sacqueboutiers in 1974, Jean-Pierre Canihac and Jean-Pierre Mathieu were among the first to embark on the rediscovery of early instruments. The quality of their work led them to take part in groundbreaking recordings (Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine, conducted by Michel Corboz, is a fine example). Since then, they have performed music ranging from Renaissance works to Mozart, with Les Arts Florissants (William Christie), La Chapelle Royale (Philippe Herreweghe), A Sei Voci (Bernard Fabre-Garrus), Elyma (Gabriel Garrido), La Grande Écurie et La Chambre du Roy (Jean-Claude Malgoire), and the Clément Janequin Ensemble (Dominique Visse).

With these ensembles or in their own programmes, Les Sacqueboutiers have appeared at all the great European Early Music festivals and also in South America.

The group comprises a nucleus of cornetts and sackbuts, which is joined, according to the requirements of the repertoire, by other instruments (violins, viols, bassoons, shawms) and vocalist(s) (a soloist, a group of about ten singers, or a vocal quartet).

Flexibility is necessary in the performance of such a varied repertoire. Les Sacqueboutiers often work in collaboration with specialised musicologists on the elaboration of original programmes, one of the ensemble's major objectives being to play an active part in the gradual rediscovery of the very fine works that make up our European musical heritage.