The Gemsmen Renaissance Consort

Gemsmen Hall & Trevor recite BEOWULF, this Tuesday. In public. Not the whole epic poem, of course. That’s just silly. It would take around 8 hours. So, we’re taking turns. Oh, & others will be reading, too.
We may even play a little Medievalesque Music on gemshorn & harp & cornamuse.
It’s being billed as the 1st Annual Beowulf Reading & you could also be a reader.
We’ll be speaking Modern English, but some brave folk will speak the original Old English (with captions).
Join us at the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto, in the Lillian Massey Building.
And we hear that Grendel may even put in an appearance, in the Great Hall!
Apr14 Tues noon until ~8pm
125 Queen’s Park (SE corner of Bloor St. & Avenue Rd.)
[MORE INFO & SIGN UP LINKS IN COMMENTS, BELOW]

A Most Mirthful EARLY MUSIC DAY, from The Gemsmen Renaissance Consort ( ) to thee & thine! How are you celebrating?
Since it’s also J.S. Bach’s birthday, let’s cast our minds Bach to last year’s Oxford Renaissance Festival!
Here we are, just about to accompany Queen Elizabeth I & her entourage, performing the actual music & choreography which was danced at Her Royal Court. Great fun & a favourite annual tradition! (2025 Sept28)
[L to R - Tenor Sackbut, CHRIS HOFFMAN ( ), our largest frame drum, emblazoned with our snazzy ambigram logo, designed by HALL TRAIN (who also made his spiffy Medieval glasses & all of our Gemshorns & our shady performance lodge), Tenor Cornamuse, & TREVOR RINES ( ).