David Munrow

[jean]

The first early band I saw (before Munrow and friends) was Musica Reservata in the late 60s in the very atmospheric setting of the Chapter House at Durham Cathedral. I remember really lapping it up it. Aged about 19, I was embarking on my post-pop era and had never heard anything quite like it before - more earthy than the Early Music Consort with diverse weird instruments, lots of percussion and pungent, striking vocals from Jantina Noorman. sample

Sadly, it then became fashionable to sneer at her sort of sound, and she was never afterwards asked to do anything but the Witch in Dido.

Perhaps she was more appreciated in the folk world? Here is an account of an interview with her.

[Richard Tarleton]

The first early band I saw (before Munrow and friends) was Musica Reservata in the late 60s in the very atmospheric setting of the Chapter House at Durham Cathedral.

Mine was the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis under August Wentzinger, doing the St John Passion in the Sheldonian, 1969. The sounds, the instruments, made a deep impression. It featured my first countertenor, too - a twenty-something James Bowman .

[Lat-Literal]

Very interesting and informative posts on this thread today - many thanks for them.

[french frank]

I was at what (I think) must have been at one of the earliest performances of the Julian Bream Consort. It took place in the Palais de Versailles and the only time I can think that I would have attended a concert there was when I was an undergraduate and spent part of my residence in digs in Versailles. The introductions were made by Robert Spencer, who introduced the members of the consort and the instruments that they played. I vividly remember that having introduced himself he added:

"Et je chante ohssi."

(Spencer in the background):

[Richard Tarleton]

I was at what (I think) must have been at one of the earliest performances of the Julian Bream Consort. It took place in the Palais de Versailles and the only time I can think that I would have attended a concert there was when I was an undergraduate and spent part of my residence in digs in Versailles. The introductions were made by Robert Spencer, who introduced the members of the consort and the instruments that they played. I vividly remember that having introduced himself he added:

"Et je chante ohssi."

(Spencer in the background):

...playing a bandora...

The first JB Consort included Olive Zorian (violin) (among other things, one-time wife of John Amis) who died in 1965. I believe the group broke up for a while after her death but reformed with new players, about whose adventures Bream talks entertainingly in "A Life on the Road".

[french frank]

...playing a bandora...

Thank you for that information - I was searching on't internet to see if I could spot something similar.

Quite a full obit. of Robert Spencer here. He was ten years older than David Munrow (as was/is Bream), so their early music careers are interesting.

[jean]

...my first countertenor, too - a twenty-something James Bowman

Mine was Alfred Deller - not in person, but through his recording of Dowland's Fine Knacks for Ladies which my father had in the 50s. The lutenist on those early records was Desmond Dupré, but Julian Bream played later for Deller and for the Deller Consort.

I was always more interested in early choral than instrumental music. I don't think there was the same resistence to a new generation of singers as there seems to have been among instrumentalists.

[Richard Tarleton]

Dowland's Fine Knacks for Ladies

My first exposure to Dowland, aged about 10 - we had to sing it in an inter-school singing competition in Hastings, circa 1959

which my father had in the 50s. The lutenist on those early records was Desmond Dupré, but Julian Bream played later for Deller and for the Deller Consort.

I was always more interested in early choral than instrumental music. I don't think there was the same resistence to a new generation of singers as there seems to have been among instrumentalists.

Some years ago now, on CD Masters, Rob Cowan featured lute recordings for a week, and unearthed several fine recordings. The very first thing he played (I remembered, because I was learning it myself at the time on the guitar) was Desmond Dupré playing Dowland's Fantasia P1.

I didn't know about Bream and the Deller Consort. I see, looking it up, they all (JB, Deller, the Deller Consort, Dupré, plus Neville Marriner on violin) took part in a recording of Monteverdi's Il Ballo Delle Ingrate, in 1956.

[secondfiddle]

The other day I came across a cassette I recorded of a January 2006 programme that went out in Radio 4’s ‘The Archive Hour’ series as a 30-year tribute to David Munrow. Called ‘Mr Munrow – his study’ (named I think after his collection that was bequeathed to the Royal Academy) it was introduced by Jeremy Summerly and it gave an account of David Munrow’s extraordinary range of activities and of how he was held in very high esteem by so many musicians as ‘one of the most influential figures of the 20th century music scene’. There were contributions from Christopher Hogwood, Jasper Carrott (his agent), Andre Previn, James Bowman, Shirley Collins and Ken Russell (Munrow contributed the music to Ken Russell’s film ‘The Devils’). His interests ranged from period music to film, folk, jazz and contemporary music. He did much to educate the young by touring schools, in addition to his ‘Pied Piper’ programme of which there were apparently 655 editions, one of which was included in a time capsule sent into space. He clearly deserves to be remembered for more than just ‘Pied Piper’, excellent though that was (I have one of them in which he discussed Elgar’s Enigma Variations). His main interest seems to have derived from a tour he made of Peru, and he would apparently appear on stage clutching 8 to 10 folk instruments which he would proceed to play. He was an excellent communicator, and it might be of general interest if this programme (or a similar tribute) could be rebroadcast for the benefit of those who only know of him in connection with ‘Pied Piper’.

[jean]

Has anyone got links to the recent concert intervals when some of the original Pied Piper were broadcast? I can't find them!

[MickyD]

The other day I came across a cassette I recorded of a January 2006 programme that went out in Radio 4’s ‘The Archive Hour’ series as a 30-year tribute to David Munrow. Called ‘Mr Munrow – his study’ (named I think after his collection that was bequeathed to the Royal Academy) it was introduced by Jeremy Summerly and it gave an account of David Munrow’s extraordinary range of activities and of how he was held in very high esteem by so many musicians as ‘one of the most influential figures of the 20th century music scene’. There were contributions from Christopher Hogwood, Jasper Carrott (his agent), Andre Previn, James Bowman, Shirley Collins and Ken Russell (Munrow contributed the music to Ken Russell’s film ‘The Devils’). His interests ranged from period music to film, folk, jazz and contemporary music. He did much to educate the young by touring schools, in addition to his ‘Pied Piper’ programme of which there were apparently 655 editions, one of which was included in a time capsule sent into space. He clearly deserves to be remembered for more than just ‘Pied Piper’, excellent though that was (I have one of them in which he discussed Elgar’s Enigma Variations). His main interest seems to have derived from a tour he made of Peru, and he would apparently appear on stage clutching 8 to 10 folk instruments which he would proceed to play. He was an excellent communicator, and it might be of general interest if this programme (or a similar tribute) could be rebroadcast for the benefit of those who only know of him in connection with ‘Pied Piper’.

Very interesting. If I remember, the agent in question was Jasper Parrott, rather than Carrott..

[secondfiddle]

Very interesting. If I remember, the agent in question was Jasper Parrott, rather than Carrott..

Yes, of course. A comic mistake! Thanks for the correction.