As Richard Durrant’s wonderful week-long French Guitar Adventurers comes to an end it’s a chance to reflect on the achievements of the week and to look forward to the year ahead… 

This week’s group have had a fantastic time together learning new music and enjoying the daily group practise sessions.  And to end the week everyone will be performing in the final concert in the beautiful local church at Yviers which is about an hour or so’s drive east of Bordeaux.  It’s a free gig and the locals seem to really enjoy the relaxed format and the sound of all those guitars in such an exuberant acoustic.

Empty Chairs

Looking ahead to French Guitar Adventurers 2019 here are the dates for your diary:

    • Monday 8th to Sunday 14th July
    • Monday 16th to Sunday 22nd September

Eleven spaces have been booked already so we recommend you get in quick!

Richard sums up the French Guitar Adventurers as follows:

‘For me the best thing for me about the holidays is that the complete mix of playing styles and playing abilities works. It also means that each player has to be flexible, generous and understanding and these are all qualities that I consider to be the main ingredients of good musicianship. It also makes for wonderful music making, steep learning curves and a great end of week gig!’  

Autumn Tour 2018

Richard returns to England this coming week to prepare for the Stringhenge autumn tour starting at the Hurst Festival in Sussex on 22 September and continuing into October.

Stringhenge

Stringhenge

Stringhenge Album Release

Monday 17 September sees the official release date of the STRINGHENGE album. Please help by spreading the word – maybe even send in some requests to BBC Radio 3, 6 Music and Folk on 2! It all helps…. 

It’s great that the album is getting some good airplay on the airwaves. You may have heard the feature on the BBC 6 Tom Robinson show the other week. The stand out track seems to be Kenneth the Hedge! If you missed it you can listen again below…

Tom Robinson

Tom Robinson

Listen again: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/play/m00008t5

There are only about ten copies of the vinyl first pressing left. All signed and numbered, so don’t miss your change to grab one while you can.

2018 Cycling Music

Tune in to hear Richard Durrant tonight, Saturday 1st September, live on BBC Radio 6 with Tom Robinson…

BBC Radio 6

Tom Robinson has been playing Kenneth the Hedge from Stringhenge and he seems to love the album – and especially this track. So Tom has asked Richard to be his guest on his evening show. We are expecting him to be on air around 9.30pm.

Listen last week’s show – go to 2h29m.

Richard says of Tom Robinson:

‘I was a fan of Tom as a teenager and I always respected him for his fearless outspokenness about politics and gay rights. His observation that I sit completely outside the accepted genres and his kindness to suggest I have a peculiar and wonderful mind kept me smiling for almost an entire week.’ 


ALBUM NEWS

Stringhenge
Stringhenge

We still have a few copies left of the first limited edition run of vinyl for Stringhenge (100 copies signed and numbered).

The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay
The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay

The re-pressing of The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay is selling well with the special offer of the trilogy of albums plus the Paraguayan book for the special price of £36. 


STRINGHENGE TOUR

2018 Cycling Music

You can find all the details of the upcoming Stringhenge tour here. And it’s another major tour from Penrith and Peebles to Sherwood Forest and Sussex – so there’s bound to be a venue near you.

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS

Richard’s Christmas gigs will shortly be appearing on the website. Meanwhile, here are the dates we have so far to add to your diary…

Sunday 2 December matinee & evening

Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea

Thursday 6 December

Toll Gavel, Beverley, West Riding of Yorkshire

Sunday 9 December matinee & evening

Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea

Wednesday 19 December

Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

Thursday 20 December

All Saints Church, Findon

Friday 21 December

St Mary & St Peter’s Church

AND FINALLY

Guitarists

Richard is off to France next week for the second French Guitar Adventurers 2018

Next year’s dates will be announced soon!