Antique shop purchase inspires special archlute concert in Berwick
David Littlewood was browsing in an antique shop in Berwick when the owner showed him the archlute.
Although David was not a musician, he was captivated by the extraordinary instrument and the beautiful craftsmanship.
After he had bought it, a closer inspection through the sound hole revealed it had been made specifically made for Francis Cowan by David Van Edwards, a world famous lute maker from Norwich.
Further investigation revealed Francis was the late brother of Berwick musician, Lucy Cowan. He was tragically killed thirty years ago in Edinburgh.
David had it restrung at the Early Music Centre in Saltaire and was very keen to hear the instrument played. He approached Catherine Preston, Berwick Music Society chair and founder of the Berwick Baroque Players, so see if she could recommend a lutenist who could play the archlute in public.
The result is a very special concert (free) at the Berwick Parish Church on Saturday 24 October. This features Edinburgh lutenist and musicologist Eric Thomas, alongside local musicians violinist Lucy Cowan, flautist Catherine Preston and vocalists Cameron Robertson and Kuniko Toda.
As well as showcasing the archlute, the concert is a musical celebration to commemorate the life of Francis Cowan. He was well known as a guitarist in the Scottish jazz scene and a talented lute player in Edinburgh early music circles.
The concert features three John Dowland songs in the 400th anniversary of the composer and lutenist’s death.
The songs, accompanied on the archlute by Eric, include Cameron and Kuniko singing ‘Fortune my Foe’, a famous Elizabethan lament about death, disaster, and grief. Also known as ‘The Hanging Tune’, it was frequently played at public executions.
‘Could it have possibly been played at the last public execution in 1823, when Grace Griffin was hanged at Gallows Knowe (now the site of Coronation Park in Berwick) after being convicted of murdering her husband?’ asked Catherine Preston. ‘We’ll never know….’