Let the Tour Commence!

Richard Durrant

Richard Durrant contemplates the wonderful music of Agustín Barrios as he begins his 2024 No.26 Bus to Paraguay Tour this weekend…

Tour details and tickets

And to celebrate at the end of the tour Richard is hosting a special event at his PluckPlankStudio in Shoreham, Sussex.

The Guitar in Paraguay

Pluck Plank Studio

Private audience and after show discussion    

Saturday 26 October 2024
2pm to 6pm

Experience elements of Richard Durrant’s Autumn touring show The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay as part of a small private audience in the guitarist’s own PluckPlankStudio in Shoreham, Sussex. This informal, intimate gathering will include an opportunity to chat about Agustín Barrios and related guitar matters with one of the world’s leading performers of this repertoire.

Find out more

“It is so wonderful to be able to host guitar events at the new studio. The discussions at the first event back in July were fascinating so this should be an interesting and entertaining tour finale.“

Says Richard

Guitar Technique Day

Saturday 9 November 2024
9.30am to 5pm

Pluck Plank Studio

If you are a classical player keen to progress in an exciting and productive new direction then this is for you. Guided by Richard the day will be spent studying the benefits of playing standing up using a strap. You will also explore playing scales in conjunction with gentle breathing techniques to both stabilise and strengthen your technique whilst giving you a whole new understanding of your instrument.

Find out more

Photo credits: Richard, Daisy & Louise Durrant

/0 Comments/by

Number 26 Bus – Back on the Road

No 26 to Paraguay

This colourful tour of Fabulous Guitar Music with fascinating images and stories and 11 performances across the UK…

First stop is on 14 September as the opening concert of the Hurst Festival in Sussex.

See the full tour details & buy tickets

During the gig Richard explores the mysteries of La Ruta Mangoreana, uncovering the beauty of Paraguayan music, sharing stories from the central southern cone of South America and explaining how all this began for him on a number 26 Brighton corporation bus.

Richard’s regular visits to this fascinating and magical part of South America have earned him accolades and awards whilst his concerts and trilogy of Paraguayan albums have uncovered the richness of guitar music being written in the region today. He is now widely recognised as one of the world’s leading interpreters of the music of Agustín Barrios. 

‘The public acclaimed [Richard] not only because he presented an all-Barrios program…but because of his passion and tenderness, qualities that he communicates through his magnificent playing of the classic guitar.’

Rico Stover. Barrios biographer and ethnomusicologist

‘In these masterworks, Durrant demonstrates his capacity as artist, making use of all guitaristic devices: one feels as if carried back to romantic periods reminiscent of a belle epoch in Latin America – mysterious, surreal, remote.’

Felipe Sosa, Founder of the Paraguayan Classical Guitar School

‘I have never heard anything like it. Durrant seems to be having fun with each measure, with each phrase and passage, each different, each delicate.’

Carlos Salcedo Author of ‘El Inalcanzable’ and authority on the life of Barrios
Discover the No. 26 books & albums
/0 Comments/by

Summer Update from Richard Durrant

Hands on guitar

A big thank you to the venues and all who turned out for Richard’s Summer Concerts 2024…

Following his recent summer concerts Richard is now back at Pluck Plank Studio amongst his guitars. These were happy shows packed full of favourite classical guitar repertoire with all its exotic colours and vibrant textures. 

Richard Durrant

The Guitar Whisperer also gave a nod to the English Folk Baroque of John Renbourn and Bert Jansch in his reworking of Purcell and Richard’s very own Book of Spells proved a popular opener to each gig.

CYCLING MUSIC Summer 2025
Tour booking is now open!

We are pleased to announce that Richard’s sixth Cycling Music tour is now booking for next year.  The tour already includes several shows in late May when Richard pedals into Herefordshire as part of the Arts Alive rural touring scheme.

Now well past 7k miles on these tours Richard will be joined onstage each night by his bicycle and trailer to play beautiful guitar music, share tales from the road and gently focus on the climate change emergency.

If you are a venue or involved in gig booking please email us

Richard Durrant’s next concerts begin in September.

See Richard’s diary for info and tickets

Photo credits: Richard Durrant, David Rowe & Louise Durrant

/0 Comments/by

Guitar Workshops: A New Way Forward

Guitar

Some of you will know that Richard spent several months away from his guitar earlier this year to work on his new studio. 

We are now thrilled to announce that the newly completed Pluck Plank Studio will open its doors on 13 July for a fantastic event for guitarists and non guitarists:

Pluck Plank Studio

Pluck Plank Studio

THE GUITAR:
A New Way Forward

starting 13 July  2-5pm
(with half hour break)

Pluck Plank Studios, Shoreham Beach, Sussex

‘Players and non-players will find this a most interesting occasion. At the opening event in this lovely new space I will give a presentation and lead a discussion for players and curious non-players.  In the break we can wander down to The Pollinator Cafe for yet more chatting at the water’s edge.’

Says Richard

Join Richard Durrant for three hours of guitar enrichment and discussion in this lovely new space in Sussex. 

Items to explore include:

  • standing to play
  • choice of instrument
  • organising practise
  • breathing.

Tickets are £40 each. Limited to 20 places.

Book your place
Richard with colleagues at his annual French Guitar Adventurers holiday. FGA is a week long chance to talk about guitars, play a concert and practise for hours on end

Photo credits:

  1. Richard Durrant
  2. Sean Stones
  3. Richard Durrant
  4. Richard Durrant
/0 Comments/by

The Sun Came Out

Wilmington Church, Sussex

…for the Summer Solstice Gig at Wilmington Church, Sussex.

And continued all weekend as Richard returned to work after a long break away from recital work.  

‘The combination of a return to playing live, these familiar venues, lovely crowds and the significant moment in the solar calendar was certainly energising. My little wooden box also responded and I was a happy boy!’

Says Richard

There are two more summer concerts approaching – first Sussex and then Wiltshire. Details below. The Ropetackle concert once again incudes Nick Pynn and Tom Arnold joining Richard for the show finale. These three have been playing folk music together for decades.

‘Whether it’s a Slip Jig a Reel or a Rucenitsa what you will hear is a clear expression of a very close musical friendship.’

Added Richard
“Nick, Dick & Tom” rehearsing in the garden with Nick and Tom patiently awaiting Richard’s downbeat
 “Nick, Dick & Tom” rehearsing in the garden with Nick and Tom patiently awaiting Richard’s downbeat

Richard then breaks to prepare for his 15-date autumn tour which includes concerts in Scotland, Wales, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

See details of Ropetackle & Baulking concerts
/0 Comments/by

Just days ’til Midsummer Music

Richard Durrant

Just a few days to go until the first of Richard Durrant’s concerts of Midsummer Music…

A solo concert of jaw-dropping musicianship from the man dubbed The Guitar Whisperer. Sit back and relax to the sound of Richard’s beautiful, acoustic music.

See events diary and book tickets

A thousand and one notes interspersed with tales from the road.

Friday 21 June, 7.30pm
St Mary’s & St Peter’s Church, Wilmington, East Sussex BN26 5SW

Sunday 23 June, 2pm

Brighton Open Air Theatre, Dyke Rd, Brighton and Hove, BN3 6EH
with special guests Nick Pynn & Tom Arnold

These events feature beautiful solo guitar music plucked from the virtuoso repertoire by The Guitar Whisperer himself….

The Guitar Whisperer
See events diary and book tickets

Photo credits:

  1. Sean Stones
  2. Wikipedia
  3. Jon Everitt
/0 Comments/by

Sumer is icumen in

The Guitar Whisperer

And that means more beautiful, acoustic music from Richard to be heard in his series of four Summer concerts…

See all the concert details

Loude sing cuckou!

Groweth seed and bloweth meed,

And springth the wode now.

Sing cuckou!

Chalk Figures in the English Landscape

Two of the concerts will be performed entirely acoustically in churches standing in significant points in the English landscape. First Wilmington Church in Sussex will host Richard on the Summer Solstice at the feet of the Long Man of Wilmington.

Then in July, very close  to the White Horse of Uffington, Richard will perform in Baulking’s St. Nicholas Church in Oxfordshire.

“I dug deep into the virtuoso classical guitar repertoire for these concerts and have chosen some truly mind blowing music. The sublime Villa-Lobos Etude No.7, Bach’s E major fiddle Prelude and Barrios’ La Catedral are amongst my all time favourites included in these special gigs.“

Says Richard

The concerts at Brighton Open Air Theatre and Ropetackle Arts Centre will be amplified and on a larger scale but will contain the same solo repertoire plus a totally unmissable folk finale played by Richard with his old mates Tom Arnold on accordion and Nick Pynnon fiddle and dulcimer. Nick, Dick & Tom re-united!

See all the concert details

Photo credits:

  1. Image by Jon Everitt.
  2. Uffington White Horse: USGS – World Wind (go), Public Domain
  3. Long Man of Wilmington: Cupcakekid at English Wikipedia
/0 Comments/by

Bach & Tweet

Bach and Tweet

Wake up to Richard’s new track Bach and Tweet which will appear on Spotify and other platforms at sunrise (5.34am) on May Day…

Pre-save the track

It was recorded at the Knepp – the trailblazing rewilding project in Sussex – late one Spring evening. Richard gently strummed Bach on the ukulele and was joined by five Nightingales singing along.

“‘It was all a bit quiet at first but after a couple of phrases of Bach we heard a few solo twitters and trills and then one thing led to another and a chorus of Nightingales sang along to the gentle, woody, plucked notes of my uke.’

Richard’s connections with Knepp begun in 2018 when he was invited to join singer Sam Lee at a Nightingale led event.  As a keen environmental campaigner Richard was inspired by, and used field recordings from Knepp on his 2020 album Rewilding.

Best-selling author and joint founder of Knepp Wilding project Isabella Tree describes Richard’s Rewilding as ‘Beyond beautiful…’ and played a track from it during her recent appearance on BBC Radio 3’s Private Passions.

The ukulele used to record Bach and Tweet was made by the world renowned luthier Pete Howlett. The extremely rare and environmentally significant wood which Pete chose to make this famous instrument is Biscuit Cedar rescued from the infamous Oregon, Biscuit Creek forest fires that raged in 2002.

Check out some of Richard’s great concerts coming up this summer with two UK tours…

See Richard’s diary

Photo of Nightingale credit: David Oldham

/0 Comments/by

A Tale of Two Tours

The Guitar Whisperer

Watch out… The Guitar Whisperer is at large as Richard prepares for two solo 2024 tours…

First there are four, fascinating Summer shows, each being slightly different…

See the diary

Things begin on Midsummer’s Day (Friday 21st June) in Wilmington Church Sussex with an incredible programme of guitar favourites including the not unrelated Bach Prelude in E (BWV 1006.1) and Barrios’ La Catedral.

Two days later the show can be heard once again at Brighton Open Air Theatre but this time with a fantastic Midsummer finale played by Richard with his longstanding folk sparring partners Nick Pynn (fiddle and dulcimer) and Tom Arnold (accordion, percussion and hammond)

The music continues on Friday July 19th at Ropetackle Arts Centre with more solo guitar greats and a rip-roaring finale by Richard, Nick and Tom.

The No 26 Bus to Paraguay

From September Richard will once again take his ever popular Paraguayan themed show out on the road. 

Tickets for 10 dates are already on sale.

Richard’s regular visits to this fascinating and magical part of South America have earned him accolades and awards whilst his concerts and trilogy of Paraguayan albums have uncovered the richness of guitar music being written in the region today.

‘I have never heard anything like it. Durrant seems to be having fun with each measure, with each phrase and passage…’

Carlos Author of ‘El Inalcanzable’ and authority on the life of Barrios

Richard is now widely recognised as one of the world’s leading interpreters of the music of Agustin Barrios. In these concerts he uncovers the beauty of Paraguayan music and shares stories from the central southern cone of South America. He also explains how all this began for him on a number 26 Brighton corporation bus.

See the diary

And lastly…

Happy Easter!

/0 Comments/by

Hello 2024!

Richard Durrant

Richard is hitting the ground running in 2024 with some fantastic events. Here are some highlights…

French Guitar Adventurers

22-28 April 2024

French Guitar Adventurers

Join Richard in the Spring sunshine in the south of France for his annual residential guitar course. Set in a stunning, secluded location in the Charente, this course is designed for players from Grade 5 to advanced level.

FGA, with space for up to 10 guitarists (plus partners), will help develop technique and broaden musical skills. There is plenty of time to practise, an open mic night and the week ends with a public concert packed full of solos and ensemble music.

A few places remain for FGA 2024!

Summer Music Concerts

Although there will be no Cycling Music Tour this year Richard will still be marking the middle of summer with a handful of special solo concerts in and around Sussex.

These will include Summer Solstice concerts at Wilmington Church on 21st June and Brighton Open Air Theatre on 23rd June.

The No.26 Bus to Paraguay

Autumn Tour 2024

No 26 Bus to Paraguay

A highlight of 2024, tickets are already on sale for this amazing Paraguayan flavoured tour. Richard brings his South American adventures to life in a revival of his acclaimed show which features the music of Agustín Barrios alongside projected artwork, photography and film. Richard’s visits to Paraguayan began in 2011 and inspired some of his finest work. 

‘…something of a love letter to Paraguay…’ 

Norman Darwen RNR

Candlelit Christmas Tour

December 2024

Richard and band bring a unique twist to the end of the year with the ever popular candlelit Christmas concerts. There is something about this wintry musical feast which seems to strike just the right midwinter tone with its less commercial acoustic vibe, the unique reworking of familiar carols and songs plus the stunning new material provided by every member of the band.

‘An all embracing winter tapestry…’ 

Guitar and Bass Magazine
Find out about more about these 2024 events

If you would like to bring Richard to a venue near you – just get in touch and we’ll see if we can fit in a visit.

/0 Comments/by