The group continues to explore a wide repertoire from medieval times to the present day, but music of the golden age -the Renaissance- remains its speciality.

In March 1996 the Consort signed a contract with ASV for the release of a disc of music by Tallis and Byrd on the Quicksilva label, and in June became the founding choral ensemble of a new music festival at Wardour in Wiltshire under the patronage of John Eliot Gardiner. The Consort's second disc of Byrd Motets was described in The Gramophone as "exhilarating" and in the Penguin Guide as "a first-rate bargain" in which the pacing and control of light and shade "cannot be faulted". More recently the group has undertaken a major project of recording the five and eight part motets of Peter Philips for ASV's Gaudeamus label.

The Consort also enjoys a fruitful partnership with Simon Russell Beale, the Olivier Award-winning actor, and its annual programme of concerts in Salisbury has for several years included a unique New Year's Eve event, a programme of words and music specially written for Simon and the Consort, followed by a midnight service in Salisbury Cathedral.

Andrew Mackay read Classics at Cambridge, but devoted most of his time to music. He sang bass at Trinity under Richard Marlow and alto at King's under Sir David Willcocks and Philip Ledger, in addition to composing, conducting, running Trinity College Musical Society and founding the Wren Library and Great Court Concert Series. After five years' English teaching at Pangbourne College he came to Salisbury as an alto lay clerk in 1979.

Andrew succeeded Ralph Allwood as conductor of Goring Chamber Choir, then in 1986 was appointed Musical Director of the Romsey Singers. This was followed by the founding of the Romsey Players and an expansion of repertoire including commissions from contemporary composers such as Francis Grier, and performances of Bach's B Minor Mass and St Matthew Passion with the period instrument band Florilegium.

As a guest conductor he has worked with many choirs including Southern Voices, the Farrant Singers, Southampton University Chamber Choir and I Polifonici Senesi; soloists who have sung under his direction include Michael Chance, Rufus Müller, Anna Crookes and James Bowman. As an operatic and orchestral conductor Andrew's credits include Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Così fan Tutte and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Also a playwright and lyricist, Andrew has written three shows in collaboration with the King's Singer Philip Lawson. Andrew founded the Sarum Consort in 1992.