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I played in a concert last night at the Royal College of Music in London. The charity concert to raise money for good graduate student instruments, was to an audience of nearly a thousand, and was quite a flash affair with students and tutors from all departments of the college and a number of outside musicians playing. Oh and me the geologist from down the road!

My small consort of Royal College tutors plus myself played some pieces by Adrian le Roy, Collard, Ballard and Weiss. I also got to play a 4 minute solo piece, a Chaconne from the Saizenay manuscript on my 10-course Venere. I have played steel string at clubs and festivals for many years, but this was the first large gathering for my lute playing, to say I was nervous beforehand is putting it mildly, but once I start playing I always relax and let the music free.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Cool....did you get a recording of it?????

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

aJeanne38958.8905787037

I too would love to hear that Colin, glad you were part of such a great event, it must have been magical!

Well Done Colin

What a buzz to play a concert like this with a Lute you made yourself.

Colin,

I bet Clapton feels the same way too

Nothing beats playing to an audience and with an instrument that you made yourself - that's icing on the cake.

Enjoy and feel proud

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

You know guys, there I was surrounded by Stradivari, and Hausers, and Steinways and there I was with just a home made instrument!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

aJeanne38958.8900925926

Stradivari are ok
Hausers are ok
Steinways I find a bit heavy plays havoc with my back.

But the Symonds Lute now we are talking a serious instrument

aJeanne38958.8903819444

Now you tell me

aJeanne38958.8907986111

[QUOTE=Colin S] and there I was with just a home made instrument!
Colin[/QUOTE]

Hey Colin, I've seen pics of your "homemade" instruments and you're getting no sympathy from me.

Congratulations! It must have been a real thrill.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Very impressive, Colin. Good for you.



Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

That's very cool. I'm happy it was so enriching. There were times in
college were I'd be a little apprehensive and my hands would sweat more
than usual during our concerts. For some reason, I've always seen it
more as a conversation though, so it usually feels more or less natural
(other than the freaking dress clothes). It's more of an us situation than
me, the music, and them. What kind of situation does it feel like for you
when you relax? Do you forget they're there, or start to feel welcomed by
them?

Well done, Colin! Stradivari's violins were home made too, you should fit right in!

If you don't have a sundclip, do you at least have pictures??!!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Sounds like a great experience, Colin. The Royal College--Whew! That'd be like taking the stage at Julliard over here. Doesn't matter what the function was, it's still momentous. Did you tell the audience that your were playing an instrument that you built?

Geeeeeeze, I'm on the wrong site. People here make beautiful guitars and are excellent consert performers also?

You didn't mention your banjo.
You did play the banjo, right?

(What a hoot that would be. I'd fly over just to see that. )

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

[QUOTE=bob J] Geeeeeeze, I'm on the wrong site. People here make beautiful guitars and are excellent consert performers also? [/QUOTE]


Shhhhhh....it's all an illusion...the instruments are so full of life they play themselves!

Yea, as is my splling and grammer used in my prior post!

That sounds like it was a great event...no pressure playing in front of your peers and others!!...I glad to hear that it all came off well...just hearing about it makes me want to be there to hear it.

Actually I think that your Venere 10 course fits in quite well...most groups doing early music are using modern reproductions as they either cant afford historic instruments or the historic instruments are in such delicate or unrepairable condition that the choice of a faithful copy is preferable.

I also think that there is no better place for good music than when surrounded by great instruments such as Stradivari, and Hausers, and Steinways.Shawn38961.5151157407

[QUOTE=Colin S] You know guys, there I was surrounded by Stradivari, and Hausers, and Steinways and there I was with just a home made instrument!

Colin[/QUOTE]
How positively cool!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Thanks for the comments guys, I really enjoyed the concert, I'll post the music I played soon, (when I can get Russell to put it on his site for me) but it will have to be my studio recording as I don't think the concert was recorded.

Oh and yes the fellow introducing the performers did mention that I had made the lute myself and also that I had rebuilt the original 1764 Brunner archlute being played by one of the other players, he said that I was obviously more than just a pretty face!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.