Shoreham guitarist Richard Durrant offers new album as pro-European statement

Shoreham-based guitarist, composer and cyclist extraordinaire Richard Durrant returns to Ropetackle for a concert of solo guitar music on Tuesday, October 16 at 7.30pm. The evening will include a brand-new guitar piece, many old favourites and music from his new, critically-acclaimed double-album, Stringhenge.  For some tracks he will be joined by friends and fellow musicians under the title The Burning Deck.
Richard DurrantRichard Durrant
Richard Durrant

“Stringhenge is really my response to Brexit. It is a very pro-European investigation into how I feel about Brexit. You have got the European high art on there of J S Bach, the greatest European musician ever, and you have got that music juxtaposed with British folk music. You have got them co-existing beautifully alongside each other. You will be listening to a Bach minuet and then British folk, and it works perfectly.”

For Richard, it symbolises the great union which Brexit will break. But he insists the fight isn’t a lost one yet.

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“I really don’t think Brexit is necessarily a losing battle yet. I think that the whole ethos of our Eurpean proejct should not be forgotten even if we come out of it all with both our legs chopped off like the (Monty Python) knight in The Holy Grail trying to limp around and saying ‘It is only a flesh wound!’

“I think there is time for people to come back to their senses. Personally I don’t think Brexit will happen. Somebody has got to stand up and shouting. I can’t believe it has all got so boring. I can’t believe something so important can have become so dull. Someone needs to stand up and shout.”

The album is Richard’s contribution – “though having said someone needs to shout, this is actually a very gentle, very subtle thing I am doing with this album.

“For the concert in Shoreham, I will also have this bunch of musicians with me that guested on the album, The Burning Deck. The Burning Deck allows me to play other stuff. I am not known for my singing. I am known for my guitar-playing. But I do sing with The Burning Deck. There are three tracks on Stringhenge which are songs. I was really nervous about doing it, but this feels like the album that I have wanted to make for 25 years. It has got more attention than anything else I have done. I am just keen to get out there and play it and play with these guys more often.”

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