Dear friends,
Once again, the Early Music Society of the Islands and St. Barnabas Church are delighted to present an afternoon of beautiful Baroque music.
Thursday, November 12, at 3:00 p.m.
St. Barnabas Anglican Church
Join us for a concert featuring the Accord Baroque Ensemble, with Monica Kim on harpsichord and Pat Unruh on viola da gamba, performing three exhilarating sonatas by J.S. Bach.
Experience the intricate interplay of melodies and the rich musical styles of the Baroque era in the beautiful setting of St. Barnabas.
Tickets and special pricing
Purchase tickets online using presale code EMSIMember.
Congregation members can enter StBarnabas at checkout for special pricing.
We hope you will join us for a relaxing afternoon of beautiful music among friends.
Warm regards,
St. Barnabas Church
About the programme:
This concert features the three exhilarating sonatas for bass viol and obbligato harpsichord. They all were arranged by J.S. Bach from works he had written for other instrumental combinations, a practice adopted frequently by Baroque composers.
As ever with Bach’s music, we enjoy the intricate interplay of melodies that weave and exchange with each other, the viol singing out between the higher and lower sound-registers of the harpsichord. And, within the various movements, listeners will enjoy how Bach’s musical ingenuity is enhanced by his love of both Italianate and French musical styles.
About the artists:
Accord Baroque Ensemble
Monica and Pat are long-time music companions, performing on the intriguing bowed 6-string viola da gamba and harpsichord. With a repertoire that spans from 1500 to 1750, they have performed as a duo in concerts throughout BC, have been resident musicians for the period multi-disciplinary group The Historical Performance Ensemble of Vancouver, and arranged and performed music for period theatre. Monica and Pat are delighted to be playing together again after a hiatus following Monica’s move to Ontario.
Pat Unruh:
Pat plays early strings in repertoires that span the Medieval to Baroque periods and beyond, and has performed in ensembles in North America and Europe. As a medieval vielle player, she has been a founder-member of Anima Medieval Music Duo and Duo Laude, and a frequent player and arranger for Ensemble Laude Women’s Choir of Victoria. On viola da gamba, she enjoys consort-making with the many viol-players in BC and is part of the collective, Vancouver Viols. Pat plays with Anne Duranceau as the viol duo, Viol Pleasures. With harpsichordist Monica Kim, Pat has performed frequently in B.C.’s Lower Mainland in concerts and lecture-recitals. She has been music director for Vancouver’s period dance group The Historical Performance Ensemble and music director for Vital Spark Theatre Company of Vancouver. For the past 15 years, Pat has composed and coached music for period theatre, with settings ranging from medieval Scotland to Molière’s Paris and Jane Austen’s England, and a multiplicity of periods for the plays of Shakespeare.
Monica Kim:
Monica Kim has performed in Canada, the US, and Europe as a solo harpsichordist, pianist and ensemble musician. For The Historical Performance Ensemble of Vancouver, she worked with Pat Unruh as a duo for fourteen seasons. Monica performed for and managed various choirs in the Lower Mainland. She has partnered with Barb King in duo harpsichord recitals as a guest in Anacortes Early Music Series, WA. Also, Monica has given lecture recitals at Douglas College, Kwantlen University, and with BC Registered Music Teachers' Association. As a multi-disciplinary performer, she has worked as an actor and a producer for stage and film, creating original works with themes ranging from politics of gender rôles to cultural communication styles.
Monica won numerous awards and scholarships while studying theatre and music at UBC, specializing in harpsichord performance with Doreen Oke. She worked with Hank Knox at McGill University, the founding member of Arion Baroque Orchestra. Her interest in historic keyboard instruments has led to many sonic adventures, from playing antique instruments at the Russell Collection of Keyboard Instruments at the University of Edinburgh, to tickling the ivories of the mirrored Baldwin grand piano that belonged to Liberace in Las Vegas.