During our stays in France, we are often asked the question why we gave the name ‘Qui Vive’ to our ensemble. Because the French really do not see the connection between music and this cry ‘Qui vive?’ (who lives?), launched by the sentries of the 17th century to force someone to make themselves known. What to answer other than at first we were not aware of the origin of this expression. It should be noted that it also exists in the Dutch language with a different connotation: ‘op je qui-vive zijn’ means ‘to be on the alert’. As presence of mind and attention are essential qualities for any musician, this expression seemed appropriate to us. In addition, the Dutch associate the subjunctive ‘vive’ with other expressions, such as ‘vive la France!’ (long live France) and ‘vive la musique!’, in short: something joyful and positive.