Pat Unruh

Pat’s introduction to early music was at the age of 11 years at a London Saturday-morning madrigal-singing class. In England, playing recorder was a standard way of making music, and Pat has played since elementary school. Trained as a classical violinist and with a violin-teacher’s diploma from Trinity College of Music, Pat’s enduring contact with early music happened in Ontario in the 1970s when she first heard the viola da gamba. At UBC, Pat earned a B.Mus and a Master’s Degree in medieval musicology, and eventually taught medieval music history there. 

Pat performs on medieval vielle and rebec, with singers, for medieval choirs and mixed ensembles. On viola da gamba she performs in the duo Viol Pleasures, and with the consortium Vancouver Viols and with other local Renaissance and Baroque groups. Pat now also enjoys playing regularly in several ensembles during her yearly extended stays in College Station, Texas. 

Pat takes great pleasure as a music coach, working among others with the recorder ensemble Merrie Accord. She gives demonstration-talks with The Historical Performance Ensemble, a period theatre and dance ensemble for which she is Music Director. She also coaches actors in community-theatre period productions. She is Music Director for Vital Spark Theatre Company, directed by Joan Bryans.