The ensemble Le Jardin Secret presents the wonderful treasure of Baroque solo vocal literature accompanied by the full colour and beauty of original continuo and obligato instruments. With soprano Elizabeth Dobbin, the ensemble performs a wide range of 17th and 18th century repertoire with dedicated attention to its historical context and to the possibilities of creative continuo playing and improvisation. The music is intimate and highly expressive exploiting the powerful and contrasting affects of the poetry to which it is set, welcoming the listener into the most secret places of the heart. Le Jardin Secret (in French a metaphor for the heart) is a place of sensual beauty and delight, of mystery and contemplation, of lament, grief and suffering, of amusement and assignation. In 2007, the ensemble won both the first prize and the audience prize in the Early Music Network International Young Artists’ Competition in York, England. Their first CD with CORO (entitled “Musique pour Mazarin! – Qui a le coeur a tout”) was highly praised in the music press and won the prestigious 5 star rating from Goldberg magazine. Their second recording, entitled “Auf Wiener Art” and featuring vocal and instrumental music from the Habsburg imperial court, was awarded Editor’s Choice in the Early Music Today magazine. It is the aim of the ensemble to bring alive the emotive energy of the music, opening the door to the aesthetic world of the Baroque in all its beguiling beauty.