Academy of St Martin in the Fields
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra.
The group was founded in London by Neville Marriner, and gave its first concert in 1959. Its early performances were at St. Martin's church. It was initially a small, conductorless string group, and played a key role in the revival of Baroque music performance in England. It has since expanded to include winds, but is of flexible size, changing its make-up to suit its repertoire, which ranges from the Baroque to contermporary works.
As well as live performances and many recordings, the group has played on a number of film soundtracks, including that of Amadeus (1984).
The group's associated Chorus of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields was formed in 1975. It is regularly heard on European television singing the music which introduces coverage of the UEFA Champions League.