Hark the Herald Durrants Sing!

Richard Durrant's Candlelit Christmas Concerts

It’s that time of year when the Durrant Christmas band assemble for a week of intensive rehearsals in preparation for their much celebrated Candlelit Christmas Concerts tour…

Buy your tickets now

Richard’s Candlelit Christmas Concerts begin on 9 and 10 December at the Ropetackle Arts Centre, but of course the work begins long before.

Daisy Durrant joins the band for her first tour and has contributed much to the show over the years including some fantastic original songs. These will be performed alongside new material by Django, Amy and Richard.

Richard with Christmas band members Django and Daisy

2023 is also the 10th anniversary of Amy Kakoura joining the show – described by Richard as ‘the Voice of Christmas’.

There will also be a chance to hear some much loved, four part carols with this very satisfying ‘SATB’ spread of voices.

The Midwinter Christmas Collection

Meanwhile, you can listen to The Midwinter Christmas Collection on SPOTIFY

This collection is also available on other streaming platforms and downloadable from our ONLINE SHOP

Richard invites everyone to ‘Come along and join this musical celebration of Christmas and Midwinter.’

RICHARD DURRANT’S CANDLELIT CHRISTMAS CONCERTS
9-22 December 2023

  • Ropetackle Arts Centre
  • Theatr Brycheiniog
  • Wilmington Church
Buy your tickets now
/0 Comments/by

French Guitar Adventurers Holidays 2024

French Guitar Adventurers

Richard’s next French Guitar Adventurers 22-28 April

This popular residential guitar course takes place each April in a beautiful, secluded location in the Charente region of France.

  • Daily study on classical guitars
  • Grade 5 to advanced level
  • Five days’ group practice
  • Culminating in a public concert
  • Magnificent location

This is a chance to effect real change in your playing under Richard’s careful guidance.

‘We will thoroughly explore standing to play whilst spending time on breathing techniques and key awareness – all part of getting the most from your daily practise and moving your playing on.’

Says Richard

There are currently just three spaces remaining (plus partners – more player spaces available if sharing a room). 

Book now to avoid disappointment

Find out more
/0 Comments/by

Extraordinary Equinox Events

Richard Durrant pictured re-gig at St Michael's Church Lewes (photo: Felix Durrant)

Richard’s highly successful Autumn Equinox tour was full of great music and lovely people…

‘It’s hard to pick moments from such a magical week: from seeing authors Phillip Carr-Gomm and Tom Cutler sitting in the same row with recorder player Piers Adams and composer Peter Copley at Lewes, to Pete Howlett presenting me with a newly finished Terz guitar to play my encore in Bangor! It was one of those weeks…’

Says Richard

Concerts in St Michael’s Lewes, Pound Arts Corsham, Bangor and Plas Tan y Bwlch all went down a storm. And for their big Saturday night gig North Wales Guitar Circle did well to book Penrhyn Hall – the former home to the BBC Light Orchestra with its famous acoustic.

‘Thanks to everyone who worked at the venues. You confirmed that I have the best job in the world.’

Added Richard

Richard and Louise are currently booking the 2024 Autumn Equinox Tour: The Number 26 Bus To Paraguay.

Photographs – top: Richard pictured pre-gig at St Michael’s Church Lewes (photography by Felix Durrant) and pre-gig for Harlech Music Society at Plas Tan y Bwlch North Wales (photograph by Louise Durrant)

See Richard’s diary of events
/0 Comments/by

New Autumn Equinox recordings from Richard Durrant

Love Song for Europe

Richard has been busy recording and filming the two tracks of Love Song for Europe in time for the Autumn Equinox Concerts…

See the dates and book now

There is a solo guitar version and also a trio version featuring Richard with Gareth Huw Davies (double bass) and Stephen Hiscock (percussion) from The Burning Deck.

Trio performing Love Song for Europe

The new recordings will be available on all digital download platforms at the moment of sunrise in Sussex on Autumn Equinox: 6.26am on Thursday 21st September

All streaming proceeds will go to UNICEF

Autumn Equinox Concerts 2023

The two tracks in hi-rez audio (96-24 ALAC or FLAC) are ready to purchase now in Richard’s online shop.

Richard’s Autumn Equinox Concert Series will include Love Song for Europe. The concerts will begin in the beautiful church of St Michael’s, Lewes this Thursday.

‘These gigs all begin with music from Spain and South America but then head north for suitably autumnal British folk and my own homespun works.’

‘I’m looking forward to singing ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’ as the leaves begin to fall and the evenings draw in.’

Says Richard
See the dates and book now
/0 Comments/by

Music for the Turning of the Seasons

Richard Durrant

The glories of August are something to behold but these golden days inevitably lead us to the excitement of the Autumn Equinox…

To help us pause and mark this moment in the year of our planet Richard is playing three special solo concerts with music to reflect and compare the intensity of summer and the gentle beauty of a new autumn.

See the tour dates and book online

New release

We are thrilled to bring you news of Richard’s forthcoming new single. The beautiful music on this double A side release will go live on all streaming platforms at sunrise on 21st September.

Right now all we can show you is Jon Everitt’s exquisitely painted cover art and announce that Richard has diverted all streaming revenue from this release to UNICEF:

The recording and filming of the single is taking place this Sunday 27th August in Shoreham with Stephen and Gareth from The Burning Deck.

Watch this space!

/0 Comments/by

A Grand Finale for the Midsummer Tour

Music for Midsummer at Brighton Open Theatre

There is just one final concert at the Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham on 28 July with a musical celebration to begin the summer holidays…

Book tickets for the Shoreham concert

Richard says: 
‘Thanks to all who came to see me during my Music for Midsummer Tour 2023.  It was a dusty, sun-drenched adventure of satisfyingly diverse gigs. I travelled through some of the most beautiful countryside of any tour so far and met some remarkable people on the roadside and at the shows.‘

‘After the ride from North Wales to South Devon via Manchester, Lincolnshire and Ross on Wye, I returned home to play my last shows in and around Sussex. Here I am under the spotlight at the Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells:’

‘Two shows were played with my quartet The Burning Deck. Corin Buckeridge, Stephen Hiscock, Gareth Huw Davies and I gathered around the Bicyclatter and played some tracks new and old including Triskellion from Rewilding and the recently re-released Wilbury Summer. The picture at the top is us at the Brighton Open Air Theatre...’

‘Before I get my deck chair out, I have one last concert at Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham on Friday 28th July – a musical celebration to begin the summer holidays. I’ll be joined on stage by some old mates including Stephen and Gareth from The Burning Deck.’

Book tickets for the Shoreham concert

Don’t forget to listen to Richard’s re-release of Wilbury Summer!

Meanwhile, have a great summer yourselves!

/0 Comments/by

More tales from the tour

Music for Midsummer 2023

The first leg of the tour saw Richard cycle around 700 miles through some of the most beautiful Welsh and English countryside in perfect, unbroken sunshine…

To mark the summer solstice Richard is releasing a remastered version of his 1997 track Wilbury Summer. 

This is the original recording originally heard on The Summer E.P with Herbie Flowers on double bass, Nick Pynn on dulcimer and Tom Arnold on Hammond.

And to celebrate further he’ll be playing Wilbury Summer at all the remaining gigs and a selection of his other original tracks with his quartet The Burning Deck…

Meet The Burning Deck

Stephen Hiscock
Drums & Bicyclatter

Founder member of Ensemble Bash, Stephen has toured the world several times (once with Stewart Copeland!).

Stephen has worked regularly with Sarah Angliss and Harrison Birtwistle. He also composes and has released several solo albums. Stephen has played Richard’s creation The Bicyclatter as part of the Richard Durrant Orchestra and played the bicycles on Richard’s album Cycling Music.

Gareth Huw Davis
Bass

Gareth has performed all over the world collaborating with and recording for Graham Coxon, Sir Willard White, Simple Minds, Chrissie Hynde, Echo and the Bunnymen, Charlie Dore, the Tootsie Rollers and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Gareth and Richard first worked together in The Richard Durrant Orchestra in 2017/18 and have collaborated ever since – notably on Daisy Durrant’s lockdown videos where he totally stole the show with his Reasons to be Cheerful bass line!

Corin Buckeridge 
Keys

A composer and instrumentalist, Corin has worked with Ian Drury,  Trevor Nunn, Charlton Heston and written music for the RSC (and so many others).

Corin studied at Oxford, conducts in the West End and has released several solo albums. Some of Richard’s earliest gigs were with his mate Corin when they were in their mid teens!

The tour begins again at Brighton Open Air Theatre on Midsummer’s day (21st June 7pm), continuing further dates in the south east.

See the full tour schedule
/0 Comments/by

Tales from the Tour

Richard on tour 2023

The sun shone brightly for Richard Durrant’s first week of concerts as he cycled through North Wales, Manchester, The Midlands and Herefordshire…

‘It’s so wonderful to be out and about playing this beautiful music to so many people. Also nice to have a mention by Petroc Trelawney on BBC Radio 3.’

Says Richard

Above: Richard at the Theatre Clwyd
Below: all set and ready to go and performing at the Stoller Hall, Manchester

Below: with schoolchildren from St. Margaret’s Primary School in Stoke Golding

The tour continues to Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire before south west venues in Taunton and Newton Abbott, and then over to a series of concerts in the South East.

See the full tour schedule
/0 Comments/by

Let the Tour commence!

Bass Clef

What’s the connection between Richard Durrant’s Music for Midsummer Concert Tour and this giant Bass Clef?

As Richard sets off for his annual Midsummer tour, a look at the map shows that his route looks rather like a giant Bass Clef. Starting in North Wales he heads across to Manchester before looping down towards south Devon.

After a short break the tour resumes in Sussex with further concerts including the annual Solstice celebration at Brighton Open Air Theatre with Richard’s quartet, The Burning Deck.

See the full tour schedule

Friday 19th May
Theatre Clwyd, Mold

Sunday 21st May
Stoller Hall, Manchester Guitar Festival

Wednesday 24th May
St Margaret’s Church, Stoke Golding

Friday 26th May
The Corn Exchange, Ross-on-Wye

Saturday 27th May
Malmesbury Abbey

Thursday 1st June
Taunton Brewhouse

Saturday 3rd June
Abbotsbury Church Newton Abbott

Wednesda 21st June
Brighton Open Air Theatre

Friday 23rd June
Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

Saturday 24th June
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

Sunday 25th June
St John the Baptist, Clayton

Wed 28th June
St Peter’s Church, Bexhill-on-Sea Bexhill Festival Music

The Tour will also form part of some great UK music festivals this summer.

This year’s programme is pure, concentrated Durrant, with its intricate and ornate folk baroque guitar works and the occasional splash of Spain and South America. You can hear JS Bach at his most unadulterated ringing out in crystal clear tones on the Supertenorukulele.

‘I feel that this selection of music clearly shows where I’m at right now.  It also makes the most of these beautiful instruments – we understand each other! Meanwhile my bicycle is primed, ready and purring with anticipation.’

Says Richard

Watch Richard’s pre-tour offering with part three of his guitar solo The Sleep of a King.

See the full tour schedule
/0 Comments/by

Unleashed on British Isles

Unleashed on British Isles

This month marks the 20th Anniversary relaunch of the children’s  album Unleashed on British Isles by Paul Kelly and Richard Durrant…

Unleashed is a collection of British Isles folk songs for children of all ages. The recordings are colourful, vivid – almost cinematic with acoustic instruments, home spun sound effects and layers of rich vocals enriching the stories in such classic songs as My Bonny, Widdecombe Faire, The Gypsy Rover and The Golden Vanity.

On May 1st their version of Drunken Sailor will appear on all streaming platforms, followed by two other tracks from the album. The entire production will then be available for all to enjoy – children and adults alike!

‘I immediately knew that Paul had something special and his involvement with children’s music particularly chimed with me. With my three young children running around and a fourth on the way I felt that Paul and I could create something special that would celebrate these happy, adventurous times.’

Says Richard

American born Paul Kelly has mixed a career as an international opera singer and a children’s music composer and producer. He initially approached Richard to appear on one of his recordings. They became friends and ended up writing and recording two albums together.

‘Recording Unleashed on British Isles with Richard was, and still is, one of the high points in my musical life. It’s right up there with performing at La Scala, and a hell of a lot more fun.’

Says Paul Kelly

Drunken Sailor is now live on iTunes and Amazon and available on all streaming platforms including Spotify.

Did you know?

Throughout the 1990’s and into the early 2000’s Richard was very involved with children’s music…

Remember Watch?

This led to several years as a writer for both Watch and its sister programme Numbertime. His many songs were heard by a generation of children – including his own!

Richard’s first encounter with BBC Schools Television came in 1994 as guest presenter on the long running series Watch. 

Remember Metalheads?

This 26 episode cartoon series was made by Telemagination and screened on CBBC from 2003.

Richard composed the music for the series with fellow musician Richard Attree  from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Both the Richard’s had studied at the Royal College of Music but only met when Richard Attree moved to Shoreham Beach.

/0 Comments/by