The 22nd meeting will take place on Saturday 3rd June, 2017. Visitors are most welcome. The venue is Chris Elmes’s place – 1F1, 25 Haddington Place, EH7 4AF (the left side of Leith Walk between Annandale St and MacDonald Rd). Parking is unrestricted off Leith Walk on weekends; MacDonald Road or Hopetoun Crescent is the best area. Time: 1pm for a 1.30pm start. Two or three hours, depending on contributions from members. There will be a charge of £1 a head for the use of the venue. If anyone wishes to make a presentation, please contact Rob MacKillop: robmackillopATgmailDOTCOM

A good turnout, with some new faces, which is always good to see. Thanks once more to Chris Elmes for use of his rooms. After a good chin wag, the music started. [Most photos can be enlarged with a click.] Rob MacKillop:  Vieux Gaultier: Tombeau de Mesangeau and Carillon, followed by a Robert de Visée Allemende in Dm from the Saizenay MS. Rob introduced his selection by showing us two books and one lute. The first book was Rob’s own, “Introduction To The Lute – for lute and guitar players“, which is published by Mel Bay. More info HERE. The other book was by Peter Croton, “Performing Baroque Music on the Lute & Theorbo“. More info HERE. Rob then discussed “The Weiss Lute” from Le Luth Doré, the company set up by Miguel Serdoura to provide Chinese-made student and professional lutes of high quality at good prices. The reaction seemed unanimous, in that the lute sounded excellent, and was very-well...

The 21st meeting will take place on Saturday 25th February, 2017. Visitors are most welcome. The venue is Chris Elmes’s place – 1F1, 25 Haddington Place, EH7 4AF (the left side of Leith Walk between Annandale St and MacDonald Rd). Parking is unrestricted off Leith Walk on weekends; MacDonald Road or Hopetoun Crescent is the best area. Time: 1pm for a 1.30pm start. Two or three hours, depending on contributions from members. There will be a charge of £1 a head for the use of the venue. If anyone wishes to make a presentation, please contact Rob MacKillop: robmackillopATgmailDOTCOM

A decent turnout for a visit by Jelma van Amersfoort (Holland) and Paul Sparks (England) playing duets for late 19th-century Italian mandolin and Spanish 19th-century guitar. This event also brought some new faces to the meeting, and it is hoped we see them return to future meetings. Rob MacKillop started proceedings, as he often does, this time on a guitar that arrived at his house two days before: An Aria copy of a Fleta classical guitar. The guitar was made in Spain under the José Antonio label, but administered from Japan. The result is a very Spanish-sounding instrument, with a big warm sound. Paul Sparks remarked how the treble reminded him of old Segovia recordings. Rob played a brief set of two short preludes by Ponce. Next, Stuart McLuckey played What If A Day from the Holmes manuscript, followed by Packington’s Pound. As ever, Stuart played well on his James Marriage 8c lute. It’s always good to hear Stuart...

The 20th meeting will take place on 19th November, and will be a special one. Jelma van Amersfoort, guitar, will be joined by Paul Sparks, mandolin, for some historical mandolin and guitar duets. Many members will remember Jelma’s previous visit to SLEGS, and will be delighted to see her again. Paul Sparks has written the two most important books on the history of the mandolin, and will answer any questions you have on its development and repertoire. The venue is Chris Elmes’s place – 1F1, 25 Haddington Place, EH7 4AF (the left side of Leith Walk between Annandale St and MacDonald Rd). Parking is unrestricted off Leith Walk on weekends; MacDonald Road or Hopetoun Crescent is the best area. Time: 1pm for a 1.30pm start. Two or three hours, depending on contributions from members. There will be a charge of £1 a head for the use of the venue. If anyone wishes to make a presentation, please contact Rob MacKillop: robmackillopATgmailDOTCOM

This was a well-attended meeting with several new faces.  It started, as ever, with a good chinwag.  Rob eventually succeeded in getting everyone to sit down so that playing could begin Rob Mackillop was up first, with his very recently delivered early flamenco guitar by the American luthier Stephen Faulk. The pieces all came from a method for guitar dating from 1902, by Rafael Marin.  The first piece was a Peteneras and this was followed by a tremolo study which uses a two note tremolo rather than the more common three or four note tremolo. Next came a beautiful Solea by Julian Arcas, the teacher of Tárrega. This Solea is much shorter than the one published in Arcas’s Collected Works, and possibly the better for it. Clearly, flamenco guitar is very different today than it was at the end of the 19th century and it is exactly this early flamenco guitar music that Rob is keen to explore. Next up was...

Jamie Akers will pay us a much welcome visit, performing some lute music. Jamie is one of the leading younger lute players on the scene today. His recent album of 19th-century guitar music associated with Scotland is a “must have”. See his website for more information: http://jamieakers.com Gordon Ferries has also promised us a mini recital, extracted from his “mostly Mertz” program. Mertz was one of the greatest of the post-Sor/Giuliani period guitarists. This should be a fascinating recital. And Rob MacKillop will be playing some Romantic guitar music which was recently found in a flea market in Valencia! Plus there will be the contribution of regular members – always worth hearing. Visitors and guests are most welcome. £1 fee to cover heating. time: 1pm to around 4pm The venue is Chris Elmes’s place – 1F1, 25 Haddington Place, EH7 4AF (the left side of Leith Walk between Annandale St and MacDonald Rd). Parking is unrestricted off Leith Walk on...

The 19th meeting of the Scottish Lute and Early Guitar Society will take place on Saturday 13th August, 2016, from 1pm (usually the meetings last two to three hours). All are welcome. The 20th meeting will take place on 19th November, and will be a special one. Jelma van Amersfoort, guitar, will be joined by Paul Sparks, mandolin, for some historical mandolin and guitar duets. Many members will remember Jelma’s previous visit to SLEGS, and will be delighted to see her again. Paul Sparks has written the two most important books on the history of the mandolin, and will answer any questions you have on its development and repertoire. The venue is Chris Elmes’s place – 1F1, 25 Haddington Place, EH7 4AF (the left side of Leith Walk between Annandale St and MacDonald Rd). Parking is unrestricted off Leith Walk on weekends; MacDonald Road or Hopetoun Crescent is the best area. There will be a charge of £1 a...

A very interesting meeting today, covering flamenco to braying donkeys! Rob MacKillop explained how the classical guitar can be used very effectively for playing the music of the vihuela – a guitar-shaped instrument strung like a lute, and played in Spain.  Vihuela tuning can be achieved by simply lowering the guitar’s third string by a semitone.  He then went on to play several vihuela pieces – first was ‘Ardé, çorazon, ardé’ by Narvaez; a fine contemplative piece.  Next came the complex ‘Fantasia del Quarto Tono’, also by Narvaez.  Then he played Narvaez’s beautiful intabulation of Josquin’s ‘Mille Regrez’, which suits the instrument very well indeed.  Finally Rob pointed out that Narvaez’s variations on ‘Guardame las Vacas’ came in two sets.  One of them taking pasacaglia form – a variation of ‘The Andalusian Cadence’ – and the other being based on the Romanesca ground.  This version was also playable in the 33222 rhythm that is characteristic of many flamenco forms, raising...

The 18th meeting of the Scottish Lute and Early Guitar Society will take place on Saturday 7th May, 2016, from 1pm (usually the meetings last two to three hours). All are welcome. The venue is Chris Elmes’s place – 1F1, 25 Haddington Place, EH7 4AF (the left side of Leith Walk between Annandale St and MacDonald Rd). Parking is unrestricted off Leith Walk on weekends; MacDonald Road or Hopetoun Crescent is the best area. There will be a charge of £1 a head for the use of the venue. If anyone wishes to make a presentation, please contact Rob MacKillop: robmackillopATgmailDOTCOM