Video – Arts Society Lecture

A very kind member of the Arts Society has filmed and edited down a short video from my lecture entitled The Queen of Instruments – The Lute within Old Master Paintings. This lecture was delivered to the Arts Society Bishops Stortford in June this year.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOzUY8hZfEA&t=5s

Sounds of Goddesses, Nymphs and Warriors: National Gallery

Image: Detail from The Battle of San Romano, Paulo Uccello. National Gallery, London. The kind people of the National Gallery have invited me to come and give another free lunchtime talk and performance on 9th September 2019 @ 1pm. Entitled ‘The Sounds of Goddesses, Nymphs and Warriors’, this event will be examining music that related……

Richard Beauchamp: Podcast

Image: Effigy of Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, from the Beauchamp Chapel, St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Warwick. I am proud to announce that fellow Warwick Castle historian Aaron Manning and I have written and recorded a new podcast. Due to the success of our podcast on Daisy Warwick, we decided to go a little……

The Art Society Directory Day 2019

Image: Photograph by London Based photographer Richard Eaton A thrilling time had at The Art Society’s 2019 Directory Day, held at Westminster Central Hall. Alongside manning my ‘stall’ filled with brochures of my latest lectures, I had the opportunity to present a one minute talk on the main stage. In this case, I figured it……

John Betjeman and the Georgian Group

Image: A photograph of the Old Town Hall (1750-2), Devizes, from the Georgian Group Archive. The Georgian Group have recently published an article of mine in their Summer Magazine, which examines the involvement of poet John Betjeman during the group’s early years. Widely regarded as one of the heroes of historic buildings protection and conservation……

Podcast: Daisy, the Countess of Warwick

I’ve had the great pleasure of writing and recording a podcast with fellow Warwick Castle historian Aaron Manning. The documentary focuses on the extraordinary and often contradictory life of Daisy, 5th Countess of Warwick, who went from being one of the most celebrated Edwardian socialites to a staunch socialist. Indeed, it was in the 1920s……

Exhibition Catalogue – Splendour!

Image: Front cover of catalogue for the Georgian Group’s 80th anniversary exhibition entitled Splendour! Art in Living Craftsmanship. Printed in 2017 by Unicorn.   Delighted to been involved as co-editor of the Georgian Group’s 80th anniversary exhibition entitled Splendour! Art in Living Craftsmanship. Splendour! is an exhibition which celebrates living artists, craftsmen and architects who……

Sir Fulke Greville – Collector, Builder, Gardener and Warwickshire Man

Lecture Wednesday 11th January 2017 Alcester and District Local History Society Commencing 8pm St. Benedict’s RC School, Alcester Non-members welcome   Sir Fulke Greville (1554-1628), born in Beauchamp Court, Alcester, lived through one of the most exciting periods of British history. He served at the courts of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I, and……

Blogs – A complete list thus far…

Photo: JMW Turner, Warwick Castle, 1830-31, watercolour on paper. Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. A complete list of blogs I’ve written thus far… Click the text to follow the links. Our Warwickshire George Greville,  2nd Earl of Warwick, Connoisseur Collector (2 parts) The Warwick Gittern An exceedingly rare lute by Hans Frei The Noble Imp’s Armour……

Candlelit Lute Concert

A link to a short recording from a fabulous concert held in East Shefford Church earlier this autumn. Music included pieces by John Dowland, Robert Johnson, Henry Purcell, Robert de Visee and Giovanni Kapsberger. There are already plans in the pipeline to repeat elsewhere next year. Details coming soon…hopefully.   https://youtu.be/hqgCG6fB4Yk