Denys Stephens    30 May 2001 00:31:08 +0100
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Dear all,
I grew up in and still live in the Penwith area of Cornwall, UK. It has
a rugged but beautiful landscape that's nearly surrounded by the sea. 
There has been a lively artistic community in the area for over 100 
years. I live a few yards away from one of the largest fishing harbours
in the UK  and the upper windows of my house look across the bay to St.
Michael's Mount - a medieval abbey/castle perched on top of a high rocky
island. Cornwall's claim to fame in the lute world has to be that 
Digorie Piper, immortalised by John Dowland, was a Cornish pirate.

I have never had a good enough reason to leave Cornwall permanently. It
made learning the lute difficult though- when I started in 1974 the 
nearest teacher was 200 miles away, so I taught myself to play from "A 
varietie of lute lessons" and Diana Poulton's first book. Early lute 
heroes were, inevitably Julian Bream and also Tony Rooley and James 
Tyler. I studied music, Renaissance culture and Shakespeare, among other

things, with the UK Open University. It was not easy to get funding to 
study the lute in those days and as I needed to support myself I got a
job in an architect's office. I'm still designing & organising the 
building of houses for the local housing association today. In that 
field I specialise in designing energy efficient homes.

My interest in the lute faded off for some years, particularly when my 
children were very young. My son Robin, now 12, is learning lute & 
guitar and my daughter Zanna (now 8 - I found her name in the Capirola 
lute book) is learning the harp. My partner Tessa is a Teacher of the 
Alexander Technique and a writer.

In the mid 90's a friend asked me to play lute duets in a concert he was
organising and this reawakened my enthusiasm for the lute. It was nice 
to find that the art of lute making has advanced a lot since the 70's. 
My present instruments are two six-course lutes by Stephen Barber and 
Sandi Harris. They are fine instruments and are a constant source of 
inspiration and delight. Music that I tried to play years ago on my 
first lutes sounds "right" to me for the first time on them. My main 
area of interest now is the music of first half of the sixteenth 
century. I am particularly keen to keep looking for evidence that throws
light on the playing technique of that time. I believe there is still 
much to be learned about it and much to be unlearned from the influence
of the guitar.

The single biggest difference between now and when I started playing is

the net. In the 70's it was rare for me to have any contact with other
lute players. It's quite a contrast and a pleasure now to be able to
share ideas with players all over the planet through this mailing
list.

 Best wishes,

 Denys Stephens

 Newlyn, Cornwall, UK.May 2001