Converging Cultures

Richard Durrant

Join us on Sunday 30 May for an evening of music, poetry and discussions celebrating both Eastern and Western culture, in support of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) in Palestine.

British composer, concert guitarist and ukulele virtuoso, Richard Durrant is looking forward to being involved in this special Converging Cultures event next Sunday. 

‘After a year of being locked away it’ll be refreshing to take part in an event designed to highlight a wider perspective.  There is beauty and there are harsh realities out there stretching way beyond Covid and sometimes only the arts will make us stop and think.

“With this in mind the Converging Cultures – PalMusic UK Virtual Concert Series has been organised. I’m so pleased to be part of this evening of music, poetry and discussion celebrating both Eastern and Western culture, in support of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music.‘

Says Richard

Richard will be joined by performance poet and human rights activist Rafeef Ziadah. Rafeef has appeared in major venues across several countries, with powerful readings on war, exile, gender and racism. She has also released three albums, with her performance of poems such as ‘We Teach Life, Sir’ and ’Shades of Anger’ going viral within days of their release.

This concert is produced by PalMusic UK,committed to improving the lives of young Palestinians through music.

PalMusic UK nurtures links between Palestinian and British musicians, building bridges, enriching lives and creating life-changing opportunities.

Converging Cultures: Richard Durrant & Rafeef Ziadah
 30 May 2021 : 7pm – 9pm
Tickets: £10 plus £1 fee

Buy a ticket online at eventbrite

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Sumer Is Icumen In

Richard Durrant

Join us on Saturday 8 May for a beautiful collection of guitar music, tales of land and sea and more besides – live streamed from Richard’s studio…

This solo concert will include typically Richard Durrant versions of Sumer is Icumen In and Elgar’s Chanson de Matin.

This is also the first of Richard’s co-hosted livestreams which will bring together Ropetackle Arts Centre (Shoreham by Sea), Scopwick Village Hall (Lincolnshire), and Swindon Festival of Literature.

‘A gig like this would not have happened but for the pandemic. The venues in Lincolnshire, Wiltshire and Sussex have all filmed contributions so we’ll get to meet them and hear their take on the collaboration. It’s an unusual and fascinating set up that brings together different groups of people from these lovely places that I know so well from so many concerts in the past.’

Says Richard

You can watch this concert LIVE at 7pm on Saturday 8 May direct from Richard’s studio on YouTube and Facebook – see diary for details.

Voluntary ‘virtual’ tickets are available – but It’s not behind a paywall so that it can be accessed free by anybody who has had a tough time during the pandemic. 

You can also watch the event online for up to a month afterwardswith a voluntary donation. 

Members of the Richard Durrant Academy can join Richard, backstage straight after the concert for a Zoom chat and a beer.

To sign up visit the Richard Durrant Academy – just £19.99 per month starting with a free, seven day trial.

Presented in association with:

  • Ropetackle Arts Centre Shoreham by Sea Sussex
  • Swindon Festival of Literature
  • Scopwick Village Lincolnshire
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Visit our New Online Shop

Shop open

Vinyl, FLAC & ALAC downloads, CDs, DVDs, books and scores are now all available from the new-look shop.

‘At last these albums can live in a happy, chronological order free of genre defining pull down menus and all the other uncontrollable online nonsense.’

Says Richard.

Each item is grouped by solo recordings, collaborative recordings and ‘other’. Find out more about each item and the tracklist by simply clicking on the item from the format list to the right:

More and more people are now buying online. This puts the music fans of today in direct contact with the artists.

Buying from the Richard Durrant website means we can offer his CDs for as little as £5 each. Richard is happy to sign and include personal messages with each order.

What is also interesting is that the contents of the shop also reflects the different ways we are now listening to music. As Richard says:

‘Witness the rise of vinyl, the slow decline of the plastic compact disc and the purity of hi-rez audio files zipped into a folder complete with album artwork. Hooray!

Visit the shop now

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Guitar Masterpieces: Live Streamed

Giuliani

Richard Durrant takes a break from preparing tonight’s Towards Spring concert to tell us something about what we can look forward to…

You can watch this concert LIVE from Richard’s studio on YouTube and Facebook. 

Voluntary ‘virtual’ tickets are available at £10.

You can also watch the event online for up to a month afterwards with a voluntary donation. 

Saturday 27 March at 7pm

Programe to include:

Giuliani
   Sonata in C
   The Return of the Hamster
   Studies

Sor
   Andante Largo
   Variations on a theme by Mozart
   Studies

VISIT THE DIARY FOR DETAILS

Italian Guitarist, cellist, singer, and composer Mauro Giuliani (1781 –  1829) was a leading guitar virtuoso of the early 19th century. He defined a new role for the guitar in European music and was acquainted with notable composers such as Rossini and Beethoven.

Spanish guitarist and composer Fernando Sor (1778 – 1839) was praised by his contemporaries as being ‘the best in the world’.

His compositions ranged from opera, ballet and symphonies to numerous pieces for solo classical guitar. 

And after the concert join Richard for a chat at 8.15pm at the Richard Durrant Academy. Just click on the link below – if you don’t have a RDA subscription you can sign up free for 7 days.

JOIN THE POST-CONCERT CHAT

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Welcome the Spring

Welcome the Spring

Richard Durrant’s third and final concert in his Towards Spring series reaches a conclusion at 7pm on 27 March with Classical Guitar Music to Welcome the Spring…

Featuring classical guitar works by Fernando Sor and Mauro Giuliani live from his studio in Sussex, Richard will be performing on a particularly beautiful guitar from the 1830’s (labelled John Arvey Turner) as well as the Gary Southwell concert bog oak.

Visit the diary for more details

The programme will include: 

Giuliani
   Sonata in C
   The Return of the Hamster
   Studies

Sor
   Andante Largo
   Variations on a theme by Mozart
   Studies

“These gigs were to mark our journey out of winter, but they have also connected me with many wonderful people at home and abroad. I plan to play more from the studio in the coming months as well as looking forward to appearing at actual venues.“

Richard

You can watch the concert LIVE from Richard’s studio on YouTube and Facebook. 

Voluntary ‘virtual’ tickets are available at £10.

You can also watch the event online for up to a month afterwards with a voluntary donation. 

Richard Durrant Academy subscribers can join Richard for a chat after the concert at 8.15pm.

If you don’t have a RDA subscription you can sign up free for seven days.

Join the post concert chat

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Exclusive content on the RDA

Join Richard Durrant for an online chat after The Pollinator live streamed concert on 27 February…

Subscribers with a Richard Durrant Academy Passport can join a live stream discussion following ‘The Pollinator’ online concert. This will be your chance to talk to Richard about some of the pieces he will have just played, his other music, your music and maybe pick up a few tips too. 

And if you don’t currently have an RDA subscription, this is just £19.99 per month with the first 7 days free for new subscribers.

The discussion will take place straight after the concert on Saturday 27 February 2021 at 8.15pm (UK time) and will last about 30 minutes. 

Don’t forget, you have to be a Richard Durrant Academy Passport subscriber to gain access but you can sign up on the day and even have the first 7 days free.

Towards Spring – online concert no. 2 
The Pollinator – music inspired by the natural world
Saturday 27th February 7pm

Visit the diary for more details and tickets

And remember you can watch the concert direct from Richard’s studio LIVE on YouTube and Facebook. 

Voluntary ‘virtual’ tickets are available at £10.

You can also watch the event online for up to a month afterwards with a voluntary donation. 

‘This concert is my celebration of the natural world, played whilst we all wait for spring.‘

Richard Durrant
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Who loves a Pollinator?

Richard Durrant with guitars

The natural world is providing the inspiration for the second of Richard Durrant’s online solo recitals on 27 February…

The programme will include: 

     Juan Duarte          Clouds of Butterflies

     Agustín Barrios    A Dream in the Forest

     Julio Sagreras      The Humming Bird

     Yuquijiro Yocoh    Sakura

‘Music is part of nature. The pattern of my guitar string on an oscilloscope looks just like the shapes in the Shoreham tide table and the patterns of Bach’s melodies play with the vibrations of the harmonic series as does the syrinx of a songbird. This little concert is my celebration of the natural world, played whilst we all wait for spring.’

Says Richard
Artwork by Jon Everitt

Towards Spring
Online Concert No. 2 

The Pollinator 
music inspired by the natural world

Saturday 27th February, 7pm

You can watch the concert LIVE from Richard’s studio on YouTube and Facebook. 

Voluntary ‘virtual’ tickets are available at £10.

You can also watch the event online for up to a month afterwards with a voluntary donation. 

Find out more and book tickets

In advance of this online recital Richard is also very chuffed to be taking part in WHO LOVES A POLLINATOR? on 18 FEBRUARY 2021 from 7 – 8pm.

This FREE extended webinar is hosted by West Sussex County Council.

This online event will include a presentation by bee expert and author Professor Dave Goulson, live music from Richard Durrant and a Q&A session. 

Find out how you can help our pollinators thrive!

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Towards Spring

Towards Spring

To punctuate this year’s Journey to the Spring Equinox we present three themed solo guitar concerts by Richard Durrant – streamed live from his studio in Sussex.

The Towards Spring series of concerts will take place on the last Saturday of January, February and March 2021 on YouTube and Facebook. 

Visit the diary for Towards Spring details and tickets

Voluntary ‘virtual’ tickets are available at £10. You can watch the event online for up to a month afterwards with a voluntary donation. 

Online concert No. 1: Book of Spells – music by Richard Durrant on Saturday 30th January, 7pm

Online concert No. 2: The Pollinator – music inspired by the natural world on Saturday 27th February, 7pm

Online concert No. 3: Classical Guitar Music to Welcome the Spring – music by Fernando Sor & Maruro Giulliani on Saturday 27th March, 7pm 

‘Never has the journey out of Midwinter felt so poignant. I just want to point  my guitar in the direction  of the light and comfort  of the spring. Right now I ‘m preparing music for three, solo concerts to help carry us through to the Spring Equinox. I do hope this will create opportunities to stop and mark this special time. Please join me.’

Says Richard

Do look at the  who has created The wonderful artwork for these concerts along with the marvellous cover designs for Rewilding was created by Jon Everitt – check out his website.

Visit the diary for Towards Spring details and tickets

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Blow away the Cobwebs in 2021

Blow away the cobwebs!

Here we are in another lockdown – so no better time to dust down your Guitar and throw yourself into one of Richard Durrant’s fantastic opportunities to improve your skills this year…

“2021 is the fiftieth anniversary of my first guitar lessons and I have begun this year keener than ever to share the positivity of music. Playing an instrument draws together mind, body and spirit. It can feel like being lost in a fantastic book and it colours the rest of the day and, in many cases, the rest of life.“

Richard says

Richard Durrant Academy

The online Richard Durrant Academy is your Passport to Unlimited Learning. Learn to play classical, acoustic and tenor guitar plus ukulele. Concert guitarist and composer Richard Durrant has built an online platform to assist you in your musical journey. You are free to learn at your own pace, repeating lessons as many times as you like, reaching new levels of ability as you tackle more challenging techniques.

Keep studying, keep practising and enjoy your musical journey. 

Click on the image below to see a sample:

French Guitar Adventurers

Spend a week with up to 10 other guitarists (plus partners) developing musical and technical ideas and working towards an end of week concert.

This summer Richard Durrant’s French Guitar Adventurers will be back. These are musical holidays for classical and acoustic players of mixed styles and abilities. 

These memorable gatherings take place each year in a beautiful location in the South of France in July and September – but you’d better be quick because September is already sold out!

Find out more about French Guitar Adventurers and how to book

One of the more fortunate things to arise from Richard’s cancelled touring is the extra time he has had to work on the online academy and to think carefully about his teaching. 

Here’s to a creative, positive and musical 2021!

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