Amnesty International Concert Steve Graham Lute, Liz Pannell Violin and Susan King Mezzo Soprano Venue: Saint Winifred's Church Branscombe Saturday 21 May 2016 Press Release from East Devon Group Publicity Officer Martin McDonagh

Lutes & Baroque Guitars:
Steve Graham

         AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EAST DEVON GROUP

– PRESS RELEASE

LEADING MUSICIANS PLAY FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IN EAST DEVON

11th April 2016

Lute player, Steve Graham, will join vocalist, Susan King and violin player Liz Pannell, for a special fundraising concert on behalf of Amnesty International East Devon.

They will play at Branscombe’s picturesque St Winifred’s Church on Saturday 21 May with all proceeds going to the support Amnesty’s vital human rights work across the world.

Announcing the line-up, organiser Angela Lambert of Amnesty International East Devon, said:

"We feel very lucky indeed to have  three top class musicians playing an intriguing range of music and instruments from the early Renaissance to the late Baroque. It will be a very special experience for us and for the musicians to enjoy this  concert, here in the heart of the Branscombe valley, in  our beautiful church of St Winifred's, one of the oldest in Devon.”

The programme includes instrumental solos and accompanied songs from the earliest Renaissance to the late Baroque, a span of 300 years and features works from England, Ireland, Italy, France and Spain including pieces by Handel, Purcell and Dowland.

Amnesty spokesman Martin McDonagh said “This very special event will support Amnesty’s work with prisoners of conscience, victims of torture, refugees and people all over the world who are denied their basic human rights which most of us in East Devon take for granted.”

Sue King added: “We are delighted to be supporting Amnesty’s work through our music. There are so many injustices going on in the world right now so it’s good to be able to do our bit by raising money for important human rights work.”

Multi-instrumentalist Steve Graham, owns six lutes, and both Renaissance and Baroque guitars and has played with early music ensembles such as “The Goliard Ensemble”, “Pilgrims Solace”, “Pange Lingua” and “Arcadia”.  Steve is also known as a jazz trumpeter .

As well as playing classical music Liz Pannell has recently recorded with singer/ songwriter Grace Gillan and plays with a traditional Irish folk ensemble. Irish music appears in the programme through the works of Turlough Carolan (1670 – 1738) an Irish harpist and composer blinded at the age of 18 by smallpox.   His music is a hybrid of Irish ballad (folk) song, 'classical Irish' harping style and Italianate form.

Sue King, mezzo soprano, will sing songs of courtly love, loss, and laughter in praise of springtime. She will be accompanied by a Baroque guitar and a variety of lutes, including a theorbo, designed in late sixteenth century Italy. Sue studied musical performance and musicology at Exeter University and has been a soloist with the East Cornwall Bach Choir and also performs in other ensembles including “Misty Roses” and “Bedlam Bess”. She is also known as an interpreter of traditional folk songs, several of which have appeared as  recordings.

Amnesty International

St Winifred's Church
Branscombe

St Winifred's Church Branscombe
Saturday 21 May 7.30pm
LUTE CONCERT
Lute Songs & Tunes

Renaissance to BaroqueLutes: Steve Graham
Voice: Susan King
Viola & Violin: Liz Pannell
Free wine & baroque nibbles
Tickets: £10
Box Office: Paragon Books Sidmouth
or 01297 680297 / 01395 513345
Free Parking at the Village Hall (400m)
Limited disabled parking at the Church

Amnesty International is a non-political, non-religious organisation that campaigns for human rights under the United National Declaration of Human Rights, including freedom for political prisoners, an end to torture and abolition of the death penalty.

For further information please contact

Martin McDonagh:  01395 513345

(martinjnmcdonagh@hotmail.com)