Philip Pickett

Philip Pickett (born 19 November 1950, London, England) is an English musician, recorder player and director of early music ensembles, notably The New London Consort.

Student days

Philip Pickett began as a trumpet player. He met Antony Baines and David Munrow who encouraged him to try early woodwind instruments such as the recorder, shawm and rackett.] He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London . He was forced to give up the trumpet after being kicked in the mouth while being assaulted on the London Underground at the end of his first year there. 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 Concert, the English Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players and many other orchestras.

The Alchemist

Pickett 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 1988 he released his only solo album, appropriately called The Alchemist. It included a few of his own compositions in a mock-medieval style.

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 Bones of All Men

The 1998, 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 New London Consort

Pickett leads The New London Consort simultaneously with the musicians of the Globe. This has a wider repertoire, covering English, Spanish, Italian and German medieval and Renaissance music. Much of the material is drawn from Philip's original research in the libraries of Europe. From 1994 to 1997 he was founder and director of the Aldeburgh Early Music Festival.

Discography

Phil Pickett 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
• Vivaldi: Gloria RV 588 and Dixit Dominus RV 595

Philip 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
• Sir Henry Rowley Bishop: Songs for Shakespeare productions at Covent Garden

Solo

• The Alchemist (1988) (London NL 425 209-2)

• The Alchemist (1998)

Philip Pickett with Richard Thompson

• The Bones of All Men (1998)

External links

• J.S.Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos, a New Interpretation, by Philip Pickett
• Philip Pickett/New London Consort official site