Holborn Viaduct
London EC1A
UK
At first, Samuel Pepys could see no virtue in the guitar at all and regarded it as a toy or ‘bauble’. Yet he soon changed his mind as he became more interested in Italian music. He arranged for an English merchant in Italy to send him an instrument, and during some of the most troubled periods of his life began to learn it. As a result, we possess from the hands of his house musician, Cesare Morelli, the largest collection of guitar-accompanied song to survive from 17th-century Europe. The series will close with ensemble performances in which the audience is invited to imagine eavesdropping on Samuel Pepys.
No reservations are required for this lecture. It will be run on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the lecture.