Welcome to The Lute Society's website
- President: David Van Edwards
- Chair: Nick Gravestock
- Secretary: Christopher Goodwin
- Registered Charity No. 1178599
News
Issue 134 of Lute News is now out - see its colour front cover and ezine. See a gallery of previous front covers on the publications page, under Lute News back issues.
Play along with professional musicians Our lute backing tracks page has a number of songs and duets, where you provide the missing lute part, to accompany renowned musicians such as Emma Kirkby and Dowland Works performing Golden Age songs, and duets with Lynda Sayce. Dowload the sheet music on the same page.
Rest in Peace, Julian Bream (15 July 1933 – 14 August 2020) who did so much to revive our beloved lute in the modern age. We will print an obituary soon, and hold an event, when circumstances permit, to commemorate him.
Update to our members compositions page. Cezar Mateus: Four Pieces for Renaissance Lute; Joaquim Bogunyà Chesa: Some New Pieces for the Lute; David Protheroe: Four songs including "My ladye lay in cooling waters" of a text by Glen Weir, Two nonsense songs of poems by Edward Lear, and "Shall I then silent be", a setting of a poem by Edmund Spenser.
Beginners' lesson 41 Beginners' lesson - 41 - Drewries accordes - lute duet. Lesson by Lynda Sayce covering the video in Lute duet - video backing tracks
New addition to our free downloads page: The Flute and the Lute Vol. 2 - English music from the Golden Age, arranged by Joaquim Bogunyà Chesa. Also Les Folies d'Espagne for Theorbo, by Robert de Visée (original is from Falconet MS which is not in very readable condition). Typseset by Wilfred Foxe.
Issue 133 of Lute News is now out - see its colour front cover and ezine. See a gallery of previous front covers on the publications page, under Lute News back issues.
The Lute in Lockdown - during our times of lockdown and social distancing, musicians are hosting online events and videos to reach their audience. We are maintaining a calendar of upcoming online events, and a set of resources for musicians and support. Feel free to send us links to online lute events, and please support musicians by buying tickets where you can. And why not improve your playing and support a professional player at the same time by treating yourself to an online lute lesson? There's a list of teachers who give lessons by Zoom or Skype at the head of our register of teachers.
Subscribe to our new Youtube Channel! at www.youtube.com/channel/UC7XUQxbXyeZUAh2r5lbj-6A. It's free of course. Many thanks to Peter Jones for setting it up of course. So far there are four very informative films about how to film yourself playing the lute and then edit and upload the film. More films of good quality will be added in due course, and we plan that this will be the forum for 'virtual meetings', with a selection of films launched together for your enjoyment.
A review and reflections of our Spring 2020 playing weekend at Benslow by Adam Dzwonnik
Beginners' lesson - 40 Courant L'Onesta (no. 63 from ‘114 Early to Intermediate Pieces for Renaissance Lute’), by Lynda Sayce.
Spring and summer meetings all cancelled in common with meetings of societies in Italy, France, Germany, Scotland and Netherlands; there may possibly be a limited meeting in November, see meetings for details.
The Lute Online Resources Portal is now live. Most websites mentioned in the last 15 years of Lute News now have links there, and some of the pages are reasonably complete. Others have only sample content - particularly the composers and sources pages - new material will be added to these each day. You are warmly invited to send in interesting links you think we have missed - let's build a Grand Universal Lute Portal!
Looking for a lute player, accompanist, duet partner, or beginner's 'buddy'? We can help you find a lute player in your area, or for your special event (wedding, banquet, advert etc). We are also starting up a lute buddying scheme to put new players in touch with lute buddies in their area.
For previous news items, see Old news
Recent pages on this website
- Lute Iconography Database - over 2200 images of lutes catalogued in a searchable online database.
- Some selected recordings from meetings are now available.
- Back issues of Lute News now available for purchase online. Now you can fill in any missing copies in your collection.
- New pieces on our members' compositions pages - recent updates by David Protheroe, Steven Watson, Laudon Schuett and others.
New Music Editions
See our catalogue for details and to purchase online:
- 158 early Cinquecento preludes and recercars - a bumper collection of early Italian lute music, all standards, beginner to advanced
- Compendium of 178 Polish dances - another bumper edition!
- Fun merchandise! Lute-playing mouse paperweight
Listings and services
As well as our online shop where you can purchase our publications, our website contains a number of listings of lutes for sale, makers, teachers, publishers, summer schools and other links.
Contact the secretary
The Secretary, Christopher Goodwin
Southside Cottage, Brook Hill, Albury
Guildford, England GU5 9DJ
Tel: (+44/0)1483 202159
or if your email bounces back from this, try
Donations
The Lute Society’s finances are ticking over nicely with the present membership fees and it is breaking even in a safe and steady manner. But we would like to be able to fund occasional additional activities without having to raise the general membership fees to a level which would put off some from joining. If you feel able to help in this way, it will be greatly appreciated.
There will be an opportunity for UK tax payers to gift aid their donation after they click the donate button.
Donating with this button will enable you to add an amount of your choice to our general fund.
Donating with this button will enable you to add an amount of your choice to our Student Bursary Fund which will enable us to fund deserving students for places on short term music courses such as Benslow.