Hey, y’all!
Pictured above: Bama Baroque with the Cahaba Chamber Chorale on October 5, 2025, in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Photo courtesy of Dr. Quint Harris.
Bama Baroque (a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; EIN: 33-3044870) is a period-instrument ensemble based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, founded in 2024 by Baroque violinist Lindsey Tootle and harpsichordist Dr. Michael Delfin, alongside a circle of friends and colleagues in the state. Bama Baroque is one of only a handful of professional historical performance ensembles in Alabama’s history and the largest independent ensemble of its kind active in the state today.
Guided by careful scholarship, vibrant history, and a dash of Southern charm and hospitality, Bama Baroque’s mission is to share performances that are joyful, unpretentious, and rich in storytelling. The ensemble’s musical reach extends beyond the elegant Baroque era (c. 1600–1750) to include the folk and popular traditions of the same period: ancient ballads, sacred songs and spirituals, dance tunes, and more, all performed on historical instruments.
Bama Baroque at their inaugural concert, March 29, 2025, University of Alabama.
Bama Baroque launched its performance activities with its inaugural concert in March 2025, debuting to an enthusiastic audience. Building on this success, the ensemble presented a multi-city concert tour culminating in Bachtoberfest, a multi-concert festival featuring the works of J.S. Bach hosted by the Cahaba Chamber Chorale, the state’s only independent professional choir, under the direction of Dr. Quint Harris in October 2025.
The above concerts were major milestones for independent, professional performances of early music in Alabama, and the community response has been overwhelmingly supportive. Bama Baroque has been featured multiple times statewide on Alabama Public Radio, and ensemble members have presented satellite concerts outside of Tuscaloosa, strengthening connections with local audiences and expanding educational opportunities and access to early music throughout the region.
The ensemble’s founding was, in many ways, serendipitous. Lindsey, a Huntsville native, had long dreamed of hearing more early music in her home state. Meanwhile, Michael - her longtime friend and musical collaborator - relocated with his family to Tuscaloosa in 2024. Recognizing this remarkable coincidence and the rare opportunity to build something meaningful in a state otherwise lacking many opportunities to hear early music on historical instruments, the two combined their experience and shared vision to create Bama Baroque.
Whether on a concert stage or a back porch, Bama Baroque exists to bring the magic and wonder of early music to Alabama, and to anyone willing to listen.