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The Julian Bream Consort

A short bio in reference to Consort member's musical relationship with Julian Bream coming soon.

Robert Spencer

In 1955 he went to a recital of poetry interspersed with lute solos by Julian Bream at the old L-shaped Purcell Room, in London, and was enchanted.

The next step was to attend the Dartington Summer School, where Bream was playing and teaching. Spencer managed a lesson or two with Bream but gained the most information by taking some 30 photographs of Bream's performance in detail. Armed with the results, he studied all the different hand positions and taught himself to play.

They Spencer and soon to be wife, gave their first full evening programme in 1958 and later expanded their programmes - often dressed in period costume - to include readings from Shakespeare and Pepys's Diary

In addition to their duo recitals, Spencer's own career went from strength to strength. His first engagement was playing the lute for the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-on-Avon and in 1961 he was a founder member of the Bream Consort.

FN:Margaret Campbell, Obituary: Robert Spencer, The Independent, August 11, 1997.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-robert-spencer-1245091.html

 

This at least got me stimulated about the Morley Consort Lessons, and some years later, boosted by the enthusiasm of Bob Spencer, I had my own group, the Julian Bream Consort, which for thirty years
specialised in this repertoire.

Julian Bream, Some Reflections on the Old Early Music Racket, Lute News - The Lute Society Magazine, April 2003, p. 11.