The City Waites were a British early music ensemble formed in the early 1970s, specializing in English music of the 16th and 17th centuries. The group, known for their performances of street, tavern, theatre, and countryside music, aimed to appeal to both general audiences and scholars. Their debut album A Gorgeous Gallery of Gallant Inventions was released in 1974, followed by The City Waites in 1976. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, they released notable albums such as How the World Wags (1981), Pills to Purge Melancholy (1990), and Bawdy Ballads of Old England (1995), formerly The Mufitians of Grope Lane. The City Waites collaborated with prominent institutions like the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, and Shakespeare's Globe. They also contributed to movie and TV soundtracks and made over 30 CDs. Their final album Penny Merriments: Street Songs of 17th Century England was released on Naxos.
