Great artists: David Munrow
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- Start Date: 11 Dec 2025End Date: 11 Dec 2025Thu (Daytime): 14:00 - 16:00In PersonFull fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00
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What is the course about?
David Munrow (1942-1976) was one of the most widely-known early music personalities of the 1960s and 70s. He was a woodwind specialist and director of the Early Music Consort of London and also a prolific broadcaster. As a regular BBC presenter many knew him through his long-running radio series Pied Piper which was aimed at a younger audience but enjoyed by listeners of all ages.
What will we cover?
- A brief overview of Munrow’s biography
- The foundation of the Early music consort of London
- Recording medieval dances
- Influences from other ensembles: Musica Reservata
- Key collaborators: James Bowman, Christopher Hogwood
- Film and TV projects: Zardoz, The Hobbit, The Devils...
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- form an overview of David Munrow’s musical legacy
- recognize key contexts for 1960s/70s early music performances
- feel confident using some technical language to describe early music recordings
- observe key features of Munrow’s recorded performances.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for absolute beginners. However, we will look at some music manuscripts and learn to identify key features of music notation (how many voices are singing, etc…) so this course will be most suitable for those who are curious and ambitious to learn.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Sessions will comprise a combination of lecture, discussion, quizzes, guided listening, video and score study. Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via Google Classroom.
You will be encouraged to enjoy extra reading and listening after class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You may wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class, links to these materials will be available online after the session.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
To find out more about music history classes Music history courses in London and online which lists our full programme of classes ordered by term, and by day of the week. You may then click on each title to read the full course outline.
Edward teaches music history and theory at City lit. His specialism is early music (medieval, renaissance and baroque) and he completed a PhD in historical musicology at King's College London (2013) on the performance of medieval music. Outside of teaching, Edward is a regular contributor to Gramophone magazine and has lectured for Dartington International Summer School, London's Southbank Centre and The British Library. He has also worked as a researcher for BBC Proms and written for the journal Early Music (OUP). His essays are published in: The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Historical Performance in Music, (Cambridge University Press); The Montpellier Codex: Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music 16 (Boydell Press); Recomposing the Past: Representations of Early Music on Stage and Screen (Ashgate 2018); and 30-Second Classical Music (Ivy Press).
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
