[I]n his latest offering ‘STRINGHENGE’ (double album releasing September 2018), Shoreham composer and guitar virtuoso Richard Durrant is once again living on the folk/classical cusp with the first of these two LPs featuring a collection of solo instrumentals.
The un-categorisable Durrant chose to record on a concert guitar crafted from a 5,000 year old English Oak by Gary Southwell, a four string Tenor Guitar made in Ditchling by Ian Chisholm (decorated with a silver Uffington Horse) and a humble ukulele. From the offset his recitalist’s credentials are apparent in a collection of confident, jazzy and very English arrangements of JS Bach placed alongside Durrant’s distinctive renditions of British Folk tunes and his own evocative pieces. This style of guitar playing could be described as “English Folk Baroque” with echoes of Renbourn and Jansch.
On the second LP, whimsically titled ‘The English Guitar Hymnal’, Durrant is no longer the virtuoso soloist. Instead he adds touches of double bass, cello, shruti box, mandolin, keyboards and even lead vocals. He is also joined by some stellar players including recorder whizz Piers Adams, Howard Beach (harpsichord & chamber organ), master fiddler Nick Pynn and percussionist Stephen Hiscock. Singer Robert Andrews, daughter Daisy Durrant on backing vocals, accordion & whistle and Sompting Village Morris whose bells, sticks & dance moves can be heard on Durrant’s epic song “Morris Dreams” are all added to the mix.
Go and see Richard Durrant perform live to hear his unbelievable, top drawer, solo guitar playing. If you’re lucky you may even get an explanation as to why a catchy little track on side four of his double album is called “Frank Bough’s Allemande”. All is not as it first appears in the world of Richard Durrant, certainly not on Stringhenge!
Playing: Saturday 29 September – Upfront Gallery, nr. Hutton in the Forest, Unthank, Penrith. Show 8pm Tickets £12.50 Tel. 017684 84538 www.up-front.com
