• 36th Season Reimagined!

    EMSI is soon bringing concerts right to your computer!
    You will be able to enjoy A Baroque Christmas in time for the holidays. The Dark Side of Vivaldi and other surprises will follow in the new year.

  • Coming soon!

    A new initiative from EMSI to support our local amateur and professional musicians.

  • Music for the Pause

    Thank you for having supported this fabulous weekly concert series featuring baroque chamber works on period instruments.

    About Music for the Pausewatch the previews (full concert videos coming soon!)

  • Early Music Society of the Islands


    About EMSISupport EMSI
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Upcoming Concerts

  • Feb 27 | Airs de Cour and Courtly Airs
    • Airs de Cour and Courtly Airs

    • Songs from the courts of Louis XIII of France, Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots. To bring warmth to frigid February, EMSI presents a program of courtly songs and instrumental works from France, England and Scotland, performed by Victoria artists, soprano Gwen Jamieson, lutenist Doug Hensley and gambist Martin Bonham:  gorgeous melodies […]

    • Read More
  • Apr 3 | Cordiform
    • Cordiform

    • Ten Songs from the Chansonnier de Jean de Montchenu Julie Ryning voice and Katelyn Clark clavisimbalum Chansonnier de Jean de Montchenu, c.1475 (Henri de Rothschild MS 2973, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris) This program features ten stunning works taken from the fifteenth-century Chansonnier de Jean de Montchenu. The heart-shaped songbook was copied around 1475 and created for […]

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Next concert

Airs de Cour and Courtly Airs
February 27

Songs from the courts of Louis XIII of France, Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots. To bring warmth to frigid February, EMSI presents a program of courtly songs and instrumental works from France, England and Scotland, performed by Victoria artists, soprano Gwen Jamieson, lutenist Doug Hensley and gambist Martin Bonham:  gorgeous melodies […]

Read More
Past Concerts

Welcome

to The Early Music Society of the Islands!

Founded in 1985 and based in Victoria BC, the Early Music Society is a non-profit, volunteer-run society dedicated to offering  accomplished performances of music composed prior to 1800.

EMSI embraces the idea that early music deserves to be heard with close to its original intent. To that end, our concerts feature period instruments, accurate scores, and historical performance practices.

Renowned artists, both international and homegrown, have graced our stage.

Sponsors

The list of soloists and ensembles presented by EMSI is a who’s who
of the international early music scene:

Anonymous 4 Ensemble Clement Janequin Monica Huggett Orlando Consort Stile Antico Boston Early Music Festival Nancy Argenta Fretwork Dame Emma Kirkby Red Priest Tafelmusik Baltimore Consort The Harp Consort Ton Koopman Jordi Savall Daniel Taylor Concerto Koln John Holloway London Baroque Sequentia Collegium Vocale Gent

EMSI News

Now online: The Dark Side of Vivaldi

Vivaldi is well-known for his many concertos, particularly The Four Seasons, but much of this prolific composer's work is rarely programmed, and so, like the dark side of the moon, remains out of sight. Join us online for an enlightening performance…
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In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that the Directors of the Early Music Society of the Islands write to tell you of the untimely and unexpected death of Michael Jarvis (1958-2020). He was widely regarded as one of Canada’s leading performers on early…
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The Dark Side of Vivaldi now on Friday November 27th

Due to the new temporary non-essential travel restrictions in and out of the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions, we have changed the date of this concert to Friday November 27th so that our Vancouver-based harpsichordist, Christina…
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