The group's five musicians each play multiple instruments -- Mindy Rosenfeld alone claims to bring 15 varieties of flutes on tour! There are viols (fretted string instruments held between the knees), the sassily braying crumhorns, the courtly lute, and so on.

The concert presented carols and dance tunes from the British Isles, France, Germany and Spain, often in well-designed groups of three or four. All Saints' Chapel, on the Trinity-Pawling campus, provided an intimate space with soaring acoustics that seemed ideal for the varied blend of instruments and voices.

The Consort has been together 28 years and it shows in their tight-knit ensemble playing and how they listen to and play off one another. Rosenfeld's poignant, freely-rhythmic flute playing over Mark Cudek's strummed viol set the tone on an old English dance tune, "On the Cold Ground."

Songs like "Tomorrow Will Be My Dancing Day" showed off the ensemble's varied instrumental colors; both melodies and accompanying lines were expertly decorated and sensitively blended.

A 16th century French "branle" (a type of dance tune), turned out to be the familiar "Ding Dong Merrily On High." It got the full string band treatment, along with flute, and in the infectious rhythms and intricate lines one heard the roots not only of a Christmas carol but also of Appalachian mountain music and bluegrass.

As guests, the group brought along soprano Danielle Svonavec and countertenor Jose Lemos, who proved a well-matched duo in intonation and vocal color and were spirited interpreters. Lemos has a free, unforced countertenor, which he applied with particular sweetness in the Elizabethan lullaby "Sweet Was The Song The Virgin Sang."

Svonavec's is a light, pure soprano, which she shades with darker colors for expressive effect. She sang "One Yeir begins" unaccompanied, with authentic-sounding Scottish diction and a haunting urgency.

The paired set of English dances, "Ladyes Delight" and "Jumpe At My Cozen," were two of the many lively dance numbers where, underneath a deceptively simple surface, there lay plenty of accompanying lines and rhythms to engage the ear (and feet). Featured were a flute and recorder duet (in addition to the viol, Larry Lipkis plays recorder and several other wind instruments) that really cooked.

The unmistakable sound of three crumhorns (crooked wind instruments with a distinctive reedy tone) made jolly work of "Tempus Adest Floridum" (or as we know it, "Good Kind Wenceslas). A Spanish group ended the first half emphatically. Cudek added his voice in a trio on "Senores, El Qu'es Nacido" and Lemos gave a lusty, peasant cry to the traditional shepherds' song "Riu, Riu Chiu."

"What child is this" ("Green Sleeves") and "Masters In This Hall" were two of the other familiar tunes that showed up, the one a vigorous duet, the other a full band number. Lemos sang a cheerfully welcoming "All You That Are Good Fellows," making the mouth water with his description of the Christmas feast.

Mary Anne Ballard played viols and rebec (a small guitar-like instrument) with dexterity and style, and Ronn McFarlane showed himself a virtuoso lutenist.

All were on their feet for the French finale "Noel Nouvelet," the singers trading verses and all clearly enjoying one another's contributions. These were musical ghosts of Christmas past that anyone would welcome.