1526—Seville, Spain

Authorities decide to set up a permanent full-time instrumental ensemble, saying, “It would be very honorable in this holy church and in the praise of the divine worship to have on salary, for their own use, some loud minstrels [menestriles altos], trombones [sacabuches] and shawms [chirimias], to use in various of the most important feasts and the processions that the church makes…they determine and order that five loud minstrels be received into this church: three shawms (treble, tenor and contra) and two trombones [sacabuches], persons skilled in their art, to serve in this church…” This group constitutes the earliest known cathedral ensemble in Spain (Kreitner, Minstrels in Spanish Churches; original Spanish in Stevenson, La Musica 27).