On Saturday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. the third annual Salish Sea Early Music Festival begins on Lopez Island at Grace Church with The Little Evening Concerts for Louis XIV, which will recreate the regular evening performances given for Louis XIV by the illustrious members of his Musique de la Chambre.

Last spring in Paris Jeffrey Cohan found an elaborate and unknown manuscript of 770 pages entitled “Suite des Symphonies: For the little evening concerts given for His Majesty (Louis XIV)” which was meticulously prepared in 1713 for the aging Louis XIV. It will be premiered by Cohan on the one-keyed flute, Joanna Blendulf of Eugene, Ore. on viola da gamba, Christine Wilkinsen on baroque violin and Steven Creswell on baroque viola.

These works are to be heard for the first time since the 18th century at the very low pitch of Louis’ court more than two tones below today’s pitch on instruments with which the king was familiar.

The 2013 festival will present five performances on Lopez, and also in Eastsound and Friday Harbor, from January through June with some of the most accomplished performers on period instruments from Germany, Montreal, Eugene, Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest.

The suggested donation for the upcoming show is $15, $20 or $25 for all concerts. Youth 18 and under are free, and the suggested donation for all other students is $5.

For more info, call 468-3477 or visit www.salishseafestival.org.