Henry Lebedinsky at the Wighton Centre today
Henry Lebedinsky explains his music, and demonstrates aspects of the Wighton harpsichord, to interested audience members after his Cappuccino Concert this morning.
Category: 18th century
Henry Lebedinsky: Wighton Harpsichord concert
When a renowned American early music specialist says he is coming to town and would like to play your harpsichord what can you do but add an extra Cappuccino Concert to your programme?
Henry Lebedinsky last played at the Wighton Heritage Centre in October 2010 while on his honeymoon! His return visit is on Saturday 15th October, from 11am to noon, when his programme will include17th and 18th century works by Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, Giovanni Battista Draghi and Elizabeth Turner.
Hailed by The Miami Herald for his “superb continuo… brilliantly improvised and ornamented,” Henry Lebedinsky performs as a historical keyboardist and Irish traditional guitarist across the United States and the United Kingdom. In addition to performing, Mr. Lebedinsky has taught masterclasses and workshops on historical performance practice at the University of Edinburgh, and many American institutions. He is also an avid composer of music for choir and organ. He currently lives in the Seattle, Washington area.
The venue for the concert will be the lovely Wighton Centre, upstairs in Dundee Central Library. This airy space houses the internationally important Wighton Collection of old Scottish music books: over 700 volumes from the 17th, 18th and 19th century.
The Wighton Harpsichord is a French double-manual instrument after the C18 maker Nicholas Blanchet. It was built by Mark Stevenson, Cambridge 1983 for Annette Heilbron (1928 – 2011), of the Helicon Ensemble and founder member of the National Early Music Association.
The concert will be at 11am on Saturday 15th October. Coffee and newspapers will be available from 10.30am. Admission will be £5.
Henry Lebedinsky at his last concert playing the Wighton Harpsichord in Dundee in 2010
The Queen Mary harp – Scottish early music played by Simon Chadwick
For the first Cappuccino concert of 2016, Simon Chadwick will be in the Wighton Centre playing a selection of historical Scottish clarsach music using the beautiful decorated replica of the medieval “Queen Mary” harp.
The event will be held in the Wighton Centre, upstairs in Dundee Central Library. Doors open at 10.30am when coffee and newspapers are served, and the music will run for an hour starting at 11am.
Simon will play a selection of tunes associated with the famous medieval harp, from medieval variation-sets traditionally associated with the Lords of the Isles, who may have commissioned the Queen Mary harp in the medieval Hebrides, through to 18th century airs once played on the Queen Mary harp by the Robertsons of Lude, when it was preserved by them at their house near Blair Atholl in Perthshire in the early 1700s.
Wighton open day
There’s still a chance to see the books and chat to the Friends of Wighton tomorrow morning from 10am.
Illustrated talk on the Sir Jimmy Shand Collection
There will be a unique aspect to the Cappuccino Concert in the Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library, Dundee on Saturday 19th September.
The distinguished Scottish music expert Dr KAREN McAULAY, Music and Academic Services Librarian at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSAMD), will give an musically illustrated talk on the Centre’s recently acquired Sir Jimmy Shand Collection of 18th and 19th century music books.
Karen is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, and is in demand to talk not only about Scottish music history but also about library and research skills. She’s also a practising musician, as a church organist and music arranger. With the help of the Wighton’s harpsichord, she will explore the musical treasures contained in these volumes and some of the rarer and most interesting volumes will be on display.
Karen’s visit comes at a key moment. The Friends of Wighton members are raising funds to have the Shand Collection conserved so that it can be on permanent display and available for use by musicians, singers, scholars and community group. A crowdfunder for The Sir Jimmy Shand Connection has topped £1100 with some weeks still to run. Contributions from the great man’s admirers have come from across the UK as well as Europe and the USA!
“We’re delighted with the success of the crowdfunder so far,” said Sheena Wellington, Friends of Wighton Honorary Librarian, “but we still have a target to reach and there are still lots of special thank you gifts waiting!” ‘Perks’ for those donating online include limited edition CDs, signed prints, etchings, specially composed tunes, house concerts and the opportunity to be entered into a founder’s book to be kept in the Wighton Centre.
To find out more visit http://igg.me/at/jimmyshand