DAVID VAN EDWARDS

David with theorbo

Curriculum Vitae


Date of birth: 1942

Perse School, Cambridge: 1953-1960
University Library, Cambridge, Assistant: 1961
University of Exeter, B.A.(Hons) First Class, English Literature. 1962-1965
University of Exeter , English Prize: 1965
University of Exeter Summer School [E.F.L.] Tutor: 1965
University of York, Research in 17th Century Literature: 1965-1968
Made my first lute, advised by Ian Harwood: 1967
University of York, Teaching undergraduate seminars: 1967-1968
Herefordshire Technical College, Lecturer in English Literature: 1968-1970
Studio School, Cambridge, EFL Lecturer in English: 1970-1971
Slough College of Technology, Lecturer in English Literature: 1971-1974
Open University, Tutor and Counsellor, 1973-1974
Open University, Summer School Tutor, Keele University: 1973
Manor Farm, Bramfield, Suffolk. Formed commune in derelict farm and started
lute making professionally in a converted pig sty: 1974-1978
Lowestoft Technical College, Part-time Lecturer in English Literature: 1975-1978
Workers' Educational Association, Part-time Lecturer: 1975-1978
Elected to Crafts Council Selected Index as a lute maker 1977
Moved to Norwich and set up as a full-time lute maker: 1978
Norwich City College, Part-time Lecturer in Humanities Dept.: 1978-1979
Teaching private evening class of instrument making: 1979-Present


 

Exhibitions


Aldeburgh Festival, The Maltings, Snape: 1975
Federation of British Craft Societies, British Craft Centre: 1975
Suffolk Craft Society, The Maltings, Snape: 1976
Norfolk Craftsmen, Oates Wine Bar, Norwich: 1976
Suffolk Craft Society, The Maltings, Snape: 1977
The Castle Museum, Norwich, “Crafts '77”: 1977
The Arts Centre, Lowestoft, Jointly with Barbara Keay, Don Rout & Guy Richardson 1978
The Fermoy Centre, King's Lynn, “Craftsmen in Action” [One Man Show] 1978
The Castle Museum, Norwich, “Artist at Work” [One Man Show] 1981
Northern Arts, “A Wood Exhibition”, National Touring Exhibition: 1981
Norwich Triennial Festival, Strangers' Hall, Norwich, “Music & Wood” 1982
Norfolk Makers, University of East Anglia Library, Norwich: 1984
Peterborough Cathedral, “Craftsman in Residence” [One Man Show] 1985
Suffolk College, Ipswich, “Working in Crafts” 1985
The Castle Museum,Norwich, “Crafts '86”: 1986
Crafts Council Open Exhibition “Musical Instruments” 1986
Norfolk & Norwich Festival, King of Hearts, “Exhib. of Early Musical Instruments” 1992
Norfolk & Norwich Festival, King of Hearts, “Exhib. of Early Musical Instruments” 1994
Midsummer Art Show, Milton Keynes, “95” 1995
King of Hearts arts centre, Norwich “Wood” 2007
European Lute Festival, Antwerp, February 2009
Suffolk Villages Festival, 2009
Suffolk Villages Festival, 2010
Suffolk Villages Festival, 2011


 

Positions Held


President, Exeter Hall, University of Exeter. 1965
Racing Captain, Exeter University Sailing Club. 1963-1965
Joint Editor, “Daedalus”, Exeter University Literary Magazine. 1962-1965
President, Exeter University Literary Society. 1965
Secretary, Norfolk Contemporary Crafts Society, 1983-1986
Chairman, Norfolk Contemporary Crafts Society. 1986-1989
Director, Norwich Arts Centre. 1979-1995
Chairman, Norwich Arts Centre. 1986-1987
Member, Crafts Sub-Committee of Eastern Arts Association. 1986-1989
Trustee, King of Hearts,[Arts Centre] 1989-1992
Governor, Norfolk Institute of Art & Design. 1990-1992
Member, Music Advisory Panel, Norwich Arts Centre. 1980-1995
Member, Music Advisory Panel, King of Hearts. 1990-1992
Member, The Lute Society Committee. 1989-1993
Website editor, Spiked magazine for the Arts. 1999-
Member, The Lute Society Committee. 2000-4
Member, The Lute Society Committee. 2007-11
President, The Lute Society. 2012 - present
Vice-Chairman, Mousehold South Allotment Association. 2012 - 2014


Ran course on lute making for Czechoslovakian Lute Society in Prague. August 1992
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a 6 co. renaissance lute August 1999
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a 13 co. German baroque lute July 2000
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a theorbo July 2001
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a renaissance bass lute July 2002
Ran lute clinic for English Lute Society in Hengrave Hall. 19th. July 2003
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making an 11 course baroque lute. July 2003
Ran course on lute making in Bulle, Switzerland. Making an 7 course renaisance lute. August 2003
Lectures and lute clinic in Stefan Lundgren’s summer school on Öland, Sweden May 2004
Ran course on viol making in Gruyère Castle, Switzerland. Making an 7 string baroque viol. August 2004
Ran lute clinic for English Lute Society in Hengrave Hall. 2nd Sept 2004
Ran course on lute making in Gruyère Castle, Switzerland. Making a medieval lute and a gittern. August 2005
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a renaissance lute in F July 2005
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a liuto attiorbato August 2006
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a mandora August 2007
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a medieval lute and a gittern August 2008
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making two renaissance lutes August 2009
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a double-headed 12 course lute August 2010
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a triple pegbox 13 course baroque lute August 2011
Ran course on lute making in Gruyère Castle, Switzerland. Making a treble viol. August 2012
Ran course on lute making in Gruyère Castle, Switzerland. Making a theorbo. August 2014
Ran course on lute making in Duluth, USA. Making a renaissance lute and a baroque lute for the American Lute Society. September 2014
Ran course on lute making for English Lute Society in Norwich. Making a 14 course theorbo August 2017

Completed a large commission from the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn for a series of twenty different lutes showing the history of the lute from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries.


 

Publications


A Geometrical Construction of a Lute Profile, Lute Society Journal, 1973
Dürer's "Angel with Lute", Lute Society Journal, 1976
Gut Strings and Angled Bridges, The Lute, 1985
The English Theorbo Reconsidered, FoMRHI quarterly, Bulletin 78, 1995
The Lute Player - by Caravaggio? Lute News, 1998
The Care of your Lute, Lute Society Booklet No. 6, 1998
The Construction of the Lute, New Grove Dictionary of Music, 2000
The History of the Lute, New Grove Dictionary of Music, 2000
Arnault of Zwolle - a puzzle solved?, Lute News, April 2004
Essay on Terborch painting, Lute News, August 2009
Essay on Cornelis van Haarlem painting, Lute News, October 2009
Essay on Metsu painting, Lute News 92, December 2009
Essay on Lanier portrait, Lute News 93, April 2010
Essay on Helmbrecker painting, Lute News 94, August 2010
Essay on The Paston Treasure, Lute News 95, October 2010
Essay on Madonna of the Rosary by Crespi, Lute News 98, August 2011
Essay on A Woman at her Toilet by Jan Steen, Lute News 102, August 2012
Essay on the Villa Caldogno frescos, Lute News 103, October 2012
Essay on Portrait of Henry Strangways, Lute News 106, July 2013
Essay on Jan Vermeyen painting, Lute News 108, December 2013
Essay on Bosch's Haywain and essay on Medici Aesop, Lute News 110, July 2014
Essay on The Lutenist by Martensz Sorgh, Lute News 111, October 2014
Essay on An English marriage portrait, Lute News 113, April 2015
Essay on A Musician and his Daughter by Thomas de Keyser, Lute News 114, August 2015
Essay on Woman playing a Lute by Jean Daret, Lute News 115, October 2015
Essay on The Lute Player by Caravaggio, Lute News 116, December 2015
Essay on Portrait of a Woman by the Master of 1540s, Lute News 117, April 2016
Essay on Virgin and Child with Saints by Girolamo Savoldo, Lute News 118, September 2016
Essay on Banquet Still Life by Adriaen van Utrecht, Lute News 119, October 2016
Essay on The Adoration, a carving by Adriaen van Wesel, Lute News 120, December 2016
Essay on The Sforza Hours by Giovann Pietro Birago, Lute News 121, April 2017
Essay on Lady World by Jacob Waben, Lute News 123, October 2017
Essay on The Steeple Aston Cope, Lute News 124, December 2017
Essay on The Parable of the Prodigal Son, Lute News 125, April 2018
Essay on Emanuell and Elizabeth Lucar, Lute News 127, October 2018
Essay on The Guitar Player by Jacob van Schuppen, Lute News 128, December 2018
Essay on Lutenist by S. German School, Lute News 129, April 2019
Essay on Herbert of Cherbury by Isaac Oliver, Lute News 130, October 2019
Essay on Musical Company by Gerard van Kuijl, Lute News 132, December 2019
Essay on Anonymous plague fresco in Palermo, Lute News 133, April 2020
Essay on Music de Campagne by Daniel Rabel, Lute News 134, August 2020
Essay on Erick van den Weereld, Lute News 136, December 2020
Essay on Elizabeth Buyck's Album Amicorum, Lute News 137, May 2021
Essay on Madonna of the Rose Garlands by Albrecht Durer, Lute News 138, July 2021
Essay on The Lute Player by Jan van Scorel, Lute News 139, October 2021
Essay on Lute cases in Art and Reality, Lute News 141, April 2022
Essay on The Lute Maker by Franciabigio, Lute News 143 October 2022
Essay on St. Michael altarpiece by Luís Borrassà, Lute News 144 December 2022
Essay on St. Martin tapestry after Hieronymus Bosch, Lute News 145 April 2023
Essay on the paintings of Peter Jacob Horemans in 18th century Munich, Lute News 146 August 2023
Essay on Karel Fabritius' View of Delft, Lute News 147 October 2023
Essay on the Roman paintings of Nicolas Tournier, Lute News 149 April 2024


 

Reviews Etc.


Easterners, Stephen Cooney, East Anglian Times, 1976
Early Musical Instrument Making in Britian, Eileen Lewenstein, Canada Crafts, 1979
Review of "A Wood Exhibition", Peter Fuller, Crafts, 1981
Sound Craftsmanship, Ben Bacon, Fine Woodworking, 1986
Cool Hand Lute, John Freeman, Landscape, 1988
Instrument makers in Norfolk, Francis Cheetham, Eastern Daily Press, 1991
Music to a Craftsman's Ears, Nicole Swengley, The Times, Nov 14, 1992
Reviving Age-old Music, Maura Griffin, The Prague Post, Sept 1, 1992
Shortform Notice, Margot Coatts, Crafts, July, 1994
Profile, David Mc Connell, American Lute Society Journal, 1994
The Lutemaker, interview by Thea Abbott, Spiked, Sept. 1998
Want to know a Secret? David Malkin, Lynn News, July 2006
Feature interview, Matthew Sparkes, Eastern Daily Press, January 2010
Feature interview, Matthew Sparkes, The Advertiser, February 2010
Feature article, Rowan Mantel, Eastern Daily Press. August 11th 2011
Feature article, Rachel Banham, Eastern Daily Press. August 25th 2012


 

Broadcasts


Interviewed by John Amis, BBC World Service, 1986
Wood Guts and Brass, interviewed by Michael Oliver, BBC World Service, Nov 1994
Video about my work filmed by Hugh Douglas-Pennant, 2012


 

Research & Lute Measurement In The Instrument Collections Of:


Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Royal College of Music, London
Horniman Museum, London
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg
Royal Conservatoire Museum, Brussels
Musikhistorisk Museum, Copenhagen
Conservatoire National Museum, Paris
Gemeentemuseum, The Hague
Musikinstrumenten Museum, Leipzig
Narodni Museum, Prague
Musikinstrumenten Museum, Berlin
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
Stadtmuseum, Munich
Deutschesmuseum, Munich
Stadtmuseum, Füssen
Stadtmuseum, Frankfurt
St Catherine's, Brescia
Nydahl Collection, Stockholm
Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt
Wartburg Castle, Thuringia


 

Talks And Lectures


The history and development of the 12 course lute, Lute Society, London
An introduction to the renaissance lute, Friends of the Norfolk Museums, 1983
Gut strings and angled bridges, Lute Society, London, 1984
Building an archlute, NCCS, Norwich, 1990
Building an archlute, Czech Lute Soc, Prague, Aug. 1992
The development of the medieval lute, Lute Society, London 1993
Building an archlute, Lute Society, London, Jan. 1995
The history and construction of the lute, National Trust, Norwich, Mar. 1995
The history of the lute in Europe, Midsummer Art, Milton Keynes, July. 1995
The development of the medieval lute, West Dean College, Mar. 1996
The 'lute dyphone' dissected, Lute Society, London, Sep. 1996
The development of the medieval lute, West Dean College, Oct. 1997
Building an archlute, Spode Music Week, Hengrave Hall, Aug. 1998
The Lute Player by Caravaggio? an Analysis, Lute Society, London, Nov. 1998
Arnault of Zwolle, a conjecture, Lute Society, London, Sept 2003
Thomas Mace and the 12 course lute, Lautengesellschaft Festival, Füssen, May 2005
Making a baroque lute, Lautengesellschaft Festival, Füssen, May 2005
From Plank to Pluck, how I make a lute. King’s Lynn Festival 22 July 2006
Lutemaking as art, history and business, talk to Norwich Rotary Club, April 2010
Moises Tiefembruker, an illustrated lecture, Lautengesellschaft Symposium, Füssen, 23 May 2010
The Paston Treasure, an illustrated lecture on two 12 course lute paintings, Lute Society, London, September 2010
A Franco-Anglo-Dutch instrument, an illustrated lecture, Dutch, Belgian and English Lute Societies, Leiden, Netherlands. 12 May 2012
Lutemaking for the Impatient, 3 months work in 6 minutes. Pecha kucha talk to Aviva Plc., Norwich. 21 June 2012
The Lute in England through Art and Music, Talk to Wymondham Music Festival. 3rd July 2012
The Stolen Lute, a short detective story with two curious codas. Paper at Roots of Revival conference, Horniman Museum. 13 March 2014
The Wooden Economy, logistical problems of supplying wood to 16th cent. lutemakers. Keynote talk at WoodSciCraft International Symposium, Montpellier, France. September 2014
The History of the Lute in England, Talk to South Norfolk Guitar Circle, 2nd April 2015
Making a Folding Theorbo, WoodSciCraft International Symposium, Kyoto Unversity, Japan, September 2016
The Mystery of the Musical Instruments in The Paston Treasure, Castle Museum, Norwich, July 2018
Lute cases in Art and Reality, Lute Society, London, February 2022
Fake Lutes, Lute Society, London. October 2023
The Lute in England, some snapshots of its history. Overstrand Early Music Festival, April 2024
Dürer's comic and subversive Eye, St Georges Lutheran Church, London, 16th July 2024

David in workshop

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