The name derives from the fact that the original members of the group all won scholarships to Cambridge University to sing in the choir of King’s College Chapel. Many traditional reference points therefore guided its members. Like The King’s Singers -created at the same institution only one year before- The Scholars originally began as an all male vocal sextet in 1968, but as early as 1972 the group decided to adopt a different profile, including a female voice and reducing its members to four. Once the musical environment became favourable and there was a need for artistic development, David van Asch, the bass-baritone of the group, decided to create his own ensemble as an instrumental counterpart, The Scholars Baroque Ensemble.