Anthony Hart   Tue, 3 Dec 2002 02:31:27 -0800 (PST)
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Excellent idea. Must have missed the earlier posting.

I have held my first lute at the Lute Society Summer School in 1969 (
Last century!). I manged to hire a small Dolmetsch lute from the society
and started lessons under Diana Poulton. I bought a Harwood and Issacs
lute at the end of the hire period. Unfortunately finances were thin in
those days and after a year sold it and went back to the guitar - I
still pined for the lute so attended another summer school in 1972 and
bought my 8-course from John Gorrett. 

I played on and off for a few years, more off than on! I started playing
with a small amateur group in the early '80s. We played for medieaval
banquets(well someone had to!!). I had some lessons with Chris Wilson at
this time.

In 1987, at the ripe old age of 40 I got married and my love affair with
the lute came to an end. But it was difficult to desert and old flame,
so she (are lutes female ?- they give a lot of trouble - must be!!) was
confined to her case.

In 1992 we moved from the UK to Malta (my wife is Maltese) and I started
a new career as a Management Consultant working with companies to
achieve ISO9000. I am an electronics engineer by profession.

What with the move and starting my own business, again the dearly
beloved - (the lute not the wife!)- stayed in the cupboard. 

I kept in touch with the lute world through the lutenet and joined the
German Lute Society as I travel to Germany often and also to help keep
up my German. 

I have now found some more time to devote to my musical activities so my
love affair has started (my wife does know!). My interest has moved from
the english/italian repertiore of the 16th and early 17th centuries to
Itallian 18th Century. 

Recently a local musicologist has been working on Maltese music in
foreign libraries which included Le Roy's Branles de Malte. I hope to
work with her. Also some Italian works with lute/theorbo parts related
to Malta. 

I had hoped to find some long lost lute mss in Malta - not to be! There
are some works with theorbo in the cathedral archives in Mdina (the old
capital of Malta) so some research needs to be done. 

As the only lutenist on the island I hope that there may be some
interest in its music (by its 5 inhabitants!!- sorry an in-joke, Thomas
Schall will understand!)

Sorry for the length of this but some might find it interesting!

Anthony Hart