lute/theorbo/19th century guitar

One of the few lutenists able to use successfully both Renaissance and Baroque lutes in recital, David Parsons has established himself as a leading European performer. His programmes illuminate the finest sources from the 16th to the early 19th century drawing both new and familiar listeners to a tradition of playing that coloured Court music making for 300 years. Whether playing Renaissance and Baroque lutes or an original 19th century guitar, David Parsons aims to communicate and involve audiences in a world of delicate and sensitive plucked string performance.

‘Parsons creates a strong sense of communication. He’s at his best in the fantasies where rhythms are subtle, shifting timbres are equal to fearsome demands.’ BBC Music Magazine

Sample Programme:

Lute Music from the Royal Courts of Europe: A first half, featuring music from Robert Dowland’s definitive collection of 1610 - Varietie of Lute Lessons is contrasted with Baroque lute music by JS Bach and Sylvius Weiss.

Education:

An introduction to plucked string styles through the ages. A workshop designed to include plucked string instrumentalists of all levels in an exploration of period style and technique.

Recordings:

Elizabethan Lute music (Metronome MET CD 1050)
Lute Music for a Princess (ASV Gaudeamus GAU 233)
Guitar Music and Songs of Fernando Sor (with Evelyn Tubb) (ASV Gaudeamus)
The Water is Wide (with Nigel Perrin countertenor) (Meridian CDE 84539)

Performances:

2 Sep 06 Wyeside Arts Centre
30 Jan 07 Lampeter Music Society
16 Feb 07 Leeds University

Contact:

David Parsons, Flat 4, 2 Trinity Church Square, London SE1 4HU

Tel: 07957 614357

Email: davidnparsons@onetel.com Website: www.david-parsons.co.uk