The Early Music Legend

  Ref is made to David Munrow  Posted on 24 October 2014 by sw508            We were all deeply saddened to learn of the untimely death of Chris Hogwood last month. His was a delightful presence when he visited the UL Music Department and he is much missed. Others have eloquently expressed his seminal role in the establishment of historically informed performance, so what we would like to do in this little celebration of his life is to share some personal memories. “My earliest memories of Christopher Hogwood”  says Richard Andrewes, former Pendlebury Librarian and Head of Music at the University Library, “are from my undergraduate days as a member of the Cambridge University Music Club, when he performed at their concerts in the Old University Music School in Downing Place on Saturday evenings in 1964-1965. At that time his interest in early music was greatly encouraged by Charles Cudworth, the Cur...

If you like a combination of jazz, folk, baroque, gospel and blues - kind of medieval music with pop influences - injected into eight well-known numbers and performed by a group of superb musicians plyaing such ancient instruments as shawms, crumhorns and regals, then you MUST buy this album. The stars are David Munrow (also on descant recorder) and Chris Hogwood (harpsichord), two highly-respected interpreters of medieval sounds, but the effect achieved when they mix with three flugelhorns, two woodwinds, piano, organ and a driving rhythm section powered by two drummers is quite amazing. You will hardly recognise Laura Nyro's 'Eli's Coming', Lennon & McCartney's 'Michelle', or Blood Sweat And Tears 'Spinning Wheel'. 'Scarborough Fair' and 'This guy's in love with you' are also gems and the arrangements are so complex that it will take you a dozen plays to pick out everything that is going on. It is impossible to describe the ...