Musicians - Philip Pickett

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	Musicians - Philip Pickett

Philip Pickett (born November 19, 1950) is an English musician and leader of Early Music ensembles.

Student days

Pickett started as a trumpet player. He met David Munrow who encouraged him to try wood instruments such as the recorder, shawm and racket. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In 1972 he became Professor of Recorder and Historical Performance, a post he held for 25 years. He has played for the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the English Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players and many other orchestras.

The Alchemist

Philip introduced theatrical elements into his concerts, including foyer performances of juggling and fire-eating. In 1976 he joined the Albion Band, a folk-rock band led by Ashley Hutchings. They played a mixture of traditional folk music and medieval tunes on a wide range of instruments - curtals, shawms, recorders, crumhorns, bagpipes, rackets, chalumeaux and synthesiser. Also in the group was John Sothcott from the early music group St George's Canzona, playing vielle, citole and crumhorn. Philip was on all four singles by the group. In 1998 he released his only solo album, appropriately called The Alchemist. It included a few of his own compositions in a mock-medieval style. The same year, he released The Bones of All Men, a collaboration with Richard Thompson and members of Fairport Convention, in which he played early music tunes with a modern rock rhythm section and electric guitar.

The musicians of the Globe

In 1993 he became artistic director of the Purcell Room Early Music series. In the same year he was appointed director of Early Music at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, which is a within a mile of the Purcell Room. His ensemble, The Musicians of the Globe, specialised in English music from the 16th and 17th centuries. CDs were sold, in particular at the Globe Theatre, and concerts were given on the stage.

The New London Consort

Simultaneously, Philip led The New London Consort. This had a wider repertoire, covering English, Spanish, Italian and German medieval music. Much of the material was drawn from Philip's original research in the libraries of Europe. He often gave exciting arrangements, revelling in the strangeness of the sounds. From 1994 to 1997 he was founder and director of the Aldeburgh Early Music Festival.

Discography

Phil Picket with the Albion Band

Albums

The Prospect Before Us (1977)
Rise up Like The Sun (1978)

Singles

Hopping Down in Kent/Merry Sherwood Rangers (1976)
The Postman's Knock/La Sexte Estampie Real (1977)
Poor Old Horse/Ragged Heroes (1978)
Pain and Paradise/Lay Me Low (1979)

Philip Pickett with The New London Consort

Elizabeth and Jacobean Concert
Music From The Time Of Columbus
Ars Subtilior
Pilgrimage
Carmina Burana vol 1 and 3
Sinners and Saints: a compilation of previous recordings
Bach: Brandenburg Concerti (complete)
Praetorius: Dances from Terpsichore

Phil Pickett with The Musicians Of The Globe

Music From Shakespeare's Plays
Ben Jonson's 'The Masque Of Oberon'
A Shakespeare Ode On The Witches and Fairies
Purcell's Shakespeare
The Enchanted Island
Nutmegs and Ginger

Solo

The Alchemist (1998)

Philip Pickett with Richard Thompson

The Bones of All Men (1998)

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