Richard Durrant
Encyclopedia
Richard Durrant, Dip RCM, ARCM, FLCM (born 2 November 1962) is an English
guitarist & multi-instrumentalist. He studied guitar, cello
, and composition at the Royal College of Music
and has since performed a mix of all guitar styles - classical, pop, jazz, folk. He also runs the indie acoustic LongMan Records company from his studio in Sussex
.
Durrant has composed concert music including the 'Rucenitsa Guitar Quartet' and 'Superluminal' (voice, guitar, string-quartet & electronics), a Clarinet Sonata and other instrumental works as well as music for the BBC
, including the BBC1 skating penguins logo & music for the cartoon series 'Metalheads'. He has written, and sung, numerous songs for BBC Schools TV programmes Numbertime and Watch. He is record producer for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Don Partridge
and Ungagged, and has toured as lead guitarist with the band Sky
. He still performs regularly with Herbie Flowers
One of his more challenging performances is a stunning reinterpretation of Steve Reich
's Electric Counterpoint for soloist and 20 pre-recorded guitars. His concerts are difficult to categorise as he covers many styles and often includes improvisations and electronic treatments - but he is, at his core. a classical performer.
Durrant was born in Hollingbury
, Brighton
. By the time he attended the Royal College of Music, he was an experienced performer with a growing reputation. The fact that he spent much of his college career singing Bob Dylan songs in London's tube stations hinted that this musician was unlikely to follow a conventional route through the profession. Indeed, following his debut recital at the South Bank, London in 1986, Richard turned sharply left and pursued his diverse interests in electro/acoustic music, improvisation, composition and multi-media. These interests led to Richard's high-achieving career, noteworthy as much for its display of versatility as this musician's tendency towards perfectionism.
Since Durrant's debut performance in 1986, he has performed throughout Europe as a soloist. He now tours a solo show billed as “Richard Durrant – The Guitar Whisperer”. The show uses projections of specially commissioned, short films which work as occasional backdrops in this multi-media entertainment which is built around a classical guitar recital. Durrant usually also includes his striking interpretations of music by J.S Bach on ‘wrong’ instruments such as banjo and ukulele. In recent years he has visited The Hawth Theatre in Crawley, Norwich Playhouse, The Stables Wavendon, Brighton Dome, BBC Proms Celebration in Trafalgar Square, The Royal Albert Hall (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), Bedford Prom in the Park, Epsom Playhouse, Birmingham Conservatoire, The De La Warr Pavilion, and the New Wolsey, Ipswich. Festival performances include Sidmouth, Adur, International Guitar Festival of Great Britain, Chichester, Brighton and concerts in Denmark, Belgium & Switzerland.
He was chairman of the Adur Festival for many years until his resignation in 2005. He is still closely involved with the arts scene in West Sussex especially since the opening of The Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham by Sea, which he helps programme also acting as advisor to the trust. He is a passionate supporter of community arts projects and is a regular visitor to local schools wherever he is performing. In October 2002, as recognition of his work promoting art in the community, Richard was presented with a Daily Mail Golden Jubilee Award by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Richard has played many concerts with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Hanover Orchestra, BBC Midlands Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
with whom he continues to perform regularly.
In May 2011 Richard was invited to launch his latest solo album in Paraguay and, whilst there, in recognition of his services as a champion of Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Durrant was officially proclaimed an Illustrious Visitor to Asuncion. He will be returning to South America for more concerts in 2012. The album "The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay" (LongMan056CD) has received critical acclaim, notably in the UK's Sun Newspaper - presumably a first for both Agustin Barrios and Rupert Murdoch.
He has also produced other artists, such as Simon Stewart
, Terry Emm, Paul Austin Kelly
, John Douglas Clark, The Hofners and Jack Cryer.
Richard was awarded a fellowship of the London College of Music for professional achievement in November 2010.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
guitarist & multi-instrumentalist. He studied guitar, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, and composition at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
and has since performed a mix of all guitar styles - classical, pop, jazz, folk. He also runs the indie acoustic LongMan Records company from his studio in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
Durrant has composed concert music including the 'Rucenitsa Guitar Quartet' and 'Superluminal' (voice, guitar, string-quartet & electronics), a Clarinet Sonata and other instrumental works as well as music for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, including the BBC1 skating penguins logo & music for the cartoon series 'Metalheads'. He has written, and sung, numerous songs for BBC Schools TV programmes Numbertime and Watch. He is record producer for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Don Partridge
Don Partridge
Donald Eric Partridge was an English singer and songwriter, known as the "king of the buskers". He performed from the early 1960s as a busker and one-man band, and achieved unexpected commercial success in the UK in the late 1960s with the songs "Rosie" and "Blue Eyes".-Life and musical career:Don...
and Ungagged, and has toured as lead guitarist with the band Sky
Sky (band)
Sky was a British instrumental group that specialised in fusing a variety of musical styles including light rock, progressive rock, classical and jazz. The group's best known members were classical guitarist John Williams, bass player Herbie Flowers Sky was a British instrumental group that...
. He still performs regularly with Herbie Flowers
Herbie Flowers
Herbie Flowers is an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double-bass and tuba. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink, T...
One of his more challenging performances is a stunning reinterpretation of Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
's Electric Counterpoint for soloist and 20 pre-recorded guitars. His concerts are difficult to categorise as he covers many styles and often includes improvisations and electronic treatments - but he is, at his core. a classical performer.
Durrant was born in Hollingbury
Hollingbury
Hollingbury is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The area sits high on a hillside across the north of the city above Patcham which lies in a valley to the west, Coldean in a valley to the east, and the A27 bypass forming the northern limit...
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. By the time he attended the Royal College of Music, he was an experienced performer with a growing reputation. The fact that he spent much of his college career singing Bob Dylan songs in London's tube stations hinted that this musician was unlikely to follow a conventional route through the profession. Indeed, following his debut recital at the South Bank, London in 1986, Richard turned sharply left and pursued his diverse interests in electro/acoustic music, improvisation, composition and multi-media. These interests led to Richard's high-achieving career, noteworthy as much for its display of versatility as this musician's tendency towards perfectionism.
Since Durrant's debut performance in 1986, he has performed throughout Europe as a soloist. He now tours a solo show billed as “Richard Durrant – The Guitar Whisperer”. The show uses projections of specially commissioned, short films which work as occasional backdrops in this multi-media entertainment which is built around a classical guitar recital. Durrant usually also includes his striking interpretations of music by J.S Bach on ‘wrong’ instruments such as banjo and ukulele. In recent years he has visited The Hawth Theatre in Crawley, Norwich Playhouse, The Stables Wavendon, Brighton Dome, BBC Proms Celebration in Trafalgar Square, The Royal Albert Hall (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), Bedford Prom in the Park, Epsom Playhouse, Birmingham Conservatoire, The De La Warr Pavilion, and the New Wolsey, Ipswich. Festival performances include Sidmouth, Adur, International Guitar Festival of Great Britain, Chichester, Brighton and concerts in Denmark, Belgium & Switzerland.
He was chairman of the Adur Festival for many years until his resignation in 2005. He is still closely involved with the arts scene in West Sussex especially since the opening of The Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham by Sea, which he helps programme also acting as advisor to the trust. He is a passionate supporter of community arts projects and is a regular visitor to local schools wherever he is performing. In October 2002, as recognition of his work promoting art in the community, Richard was presented with a Daily Mail Golden Jubilee Award by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Richard has played many concerts with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Hanover Orchestra, BBC Midlands Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
with whom he continues to perform regularly.
In May 2011 Richard was invited to launch his latest solo album in Paraguay and, whilst there, in recognition of his services as a champion of Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Durrant was officially proclaimed an Illustrious Visitor to Asuncion. He will be returning to South America for more concerts in 2012. The album "The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay" (LongMan056CD) has received critical acclaim, notably in the UK's Sun Newspaper - presumably a first for both Agustin Barrios and Rupert Murdoch.
He has also produced other artists, such as Simon Stewart
Simon Stewart (musician)
Simon Stewart is a British singer, musician and songwriter.He released his first CD Across The Land, produced by Richard Durrant in 2007 on Longman Records. The 13 songs on the album blend Anglo-American songwriting with European traditions. In September 2007 the song Oh My Love was voted number 2...
, Terry Emm, Paul Austin Kelly
Paul Austin Kelly
Paul Austin Kelly is an American opera tenor and former rock musician who also writes, records and performs music for children.He was born in Kingston, New York.-Musical beginnings:...
, John Douglas Clark, The Hofners and Jack Cryer.
Richard was awarded a fellowship of the London College of Music for professional achievement in November 2010.
External links
- http://www.richard-durrant.com
- http://www.rpo.co.uk
- http://www.brightonphil.org.uk/
- Richard Durrant BalconyTV Brighton performance