Sunday 29 April 2018

Late Medieval/Early Renaissance Lute





The recent creation of this Late Medieval/Early Renaissance Lute was commissioned by the National Trust for the enjoyment of a wider audience and encourage children not to be afraid to touch a specialist instrument and have fun exploring the sounds. Also it will be played by their resident musician Angela either in lute tuning or slightly adjusted to guitar intervals for playing from guitar music. It's an area which i have been banging on for a few years now so was happy to make this instrument available to be enjoyed in the setting where it was originally played perhaps by Queen Elizabeth herself at Knowle.

The woods used are European Ash and pear wood with Alpine spruce so no exotic woods used at that time and is based on iconography and paintings from the late medieval/early renaissance. The body shape based on a wooden sculpture of Pythagoras playing a small lute and barring based on Arnaut of Zwolle's technical drawing of a late medieval lute and some serviving early renaissance lutes. Popular tunes are played here which hopefully will be enjoyed in Knowle for the visitors to enjoy:)