Formed in 2016, Ensemble 642 is Hannah Lane (baroque harp) and Nicholas Pollock (theorbo, lutes, baroque guitar). The ensemble explores the unique sound world of rare, early plucked string instruments, performing music from the late-sixteenth to early-eighteenth centuries, both as a duo and in collaboration with leading vocalists and instrumentalists. Inspired by a mutual fascination and passion for the art of basso continuo—an improvisatory practice fundamental to the performance of baroque music—and by their desire to pursue musical experimentation based on historical sources, Ensemble 642 creates innovative concert programs in collaboration with the finest early music performers in Australia and beyond, bringing to life exquisite music that hasn’t been heard for hundreds of years with the aim of sharing the spirit and emotion of baroque music with contemporary audiences.