functions
weddings
concerts

HISTORICAL MUSIC

Who booked us?

What did they say?

What do we offer?

to bring your event to life!

also
heritage events
street fairs
lecture recitals

SOLO

...me, and lots of instruments...

or
DUO

My wife Elizabeth now joins me, bringing her voice, her harps, and more instruments.
(see Liz's Harp Page and
http://www.elizabethyork.co.uk - Liz's own site[This will open as a separate window - you won't lose this place], as well) From the civilized sound of harp and recorder duets from 16th and 17th century music to more carrying medieval bagpipes and great tabor, the variety is greatly appreciated by our clients.
We have played music together for over 25 years - now we're able to develop our repertoire and range of duets together.

"...an afternoon of pure magic."(entry in visitors' book after we played)

TRIO/QUARTET

Martin Cummins - lutes, orpharion, renaissance guitar, and Richard Leigh - violin, fidel, percussion, work with me/us for some occasions.

Who's Booked Me/Us for entertainment?

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Recent and current clients, both greater and smaller, include:

The V&A
Kettering Alfred East Art Gallery
Calderdale Leisure (Shibden Hall)
The Guild of the Freemen of the City of London
Round Table/Rotary/etc. clubs
Village festivals
Wedding couples.

Note that these are specifically entertainment bookings, as distinct from heritage interpretation/education... ain't it complicated?!

What Did They Say?

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For example...
The Elizabeth & Richard duo played for the Guild of the Freemen of the City of London, and the Lord Mayor of Coventry:
..."the superb entertainment… at our banquet" ...

"your skills and choice of music - which were beautifully matched to the surroundings and to the splendour of the occasion"...

"any number of people have thanked [us] for a wonderful evening and its success is in no small measure down to your contribution".

Following an event at Coventry's medieval guildhall, from letter of thanks, quoted by permission.
What can we add? - Other than to say it was a great venue & we enjoyed it too!

What do We Offer?

Skip back up In brief, lots of experience and lots of unusual instruments, and the skill to play them in an accessible and appealing way.
Quiet instruments for small scale events, or quiet moments in larger functions, and noisier instruments for noisier moments!
For the time being, look at the Resource pages of this site to see some of the instruments.

To the table of Contents
These pages are mainly slanted to education needs, but that needn't discourage you from looking!

but to go on with...

INSTRUMENTS

I advertise myself as having "an unreasonably large collection of instruments." So what do I/we bring? Depending on the needs of the occasion, I draw on the following:
Bagpipes, from medieval style to Bellows-blown border pipes - six sets in all;
Recorders, from sopranino to bass;
Shawm, and Bass Curtal; crumhorns, cornamusen;
Three holed pipes, including a Mary Rose replica;
Hurdy Gurdies, one renaissance/Tudor style, one 17/18/19th century pattern;
Portative organ;
Wire-strung harps: a tiny medieval pattern and a gorgeous later renaissance 30-string clarsach;
a "porco" or pigs snout psaltery;
Various percussion - tabors, nakers, string drum, medieval cymbals, medieval bells, rommelpot, etc; (A rommelpot isn't really percussion at all, it's more a stroked membranophone, but it seemed to fit in here.)
Citterns, psalteries, early dulcimer;
concertinas;
accordeon;
hammer dulcimer;
harmonium;
and one or two more...

And Liz plays a variety of these,
especially: the keyboard instruments, concertinas, hurdy gurdy, percussion,
.. but she's mainly a harp player, so adds from her own collection of:
small medieval gut-strung harp,
16th century-onwards Arpa Doppia, or spectacularly beautiful double strung renaissance double strung gut harp,
neo-celtic lever harp, which is now the small harp of Scottish & Irish tradition,
and a gothic bray harp. This amazing instrument needs to be heard to be believed. It produces a rich buzzing sound quite unlike yer average harp, but has astonishing presence and a beauty all its own;
small renaissance guitar
And her voice, which is really better than all my instruments put together.
SO quite a lot, really.

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	available for functions weddings concerts

HISTORICAL MUSIC
Who booked us? What did they say? What do we offer?
	to bring your event to life!
	also heritage events street fairs lecture recitals
	SOLO	...me, and lots of instruments...
	or DUO	My wife Elizabeth now joins me, bringing her voice, her harps, and more instruments. (see Liz's Harp Page and http://www.elizabethyork.co.uk - Liz's own site[This will open as a separate window - you won't lose this place], as well) From the civilized sound of harp and recorder duets from 16th and 17th century music to more carrying medieval bagpipes and great tabor, the variety is greatly appreciated by our clients. We have played music together for over 25 years - now we're able to develop our repertoire and range of duets together. "...an afternoon of pure magic."(entry in visitors' book after we played)
	or
	TRIO/QUARTET	Martin Cummins - lutes, orpharion, renaissance guitar, and Richard Leigh - violin, fidel, percussion, work with me/us for some occasions.