Michael Peterson asked me to put together a chronology of the activities of Bay Area lutenists. This is their story. But a little background first. I had been playing lute since 1976, a guitar-lute. In 1993, while working at a computer testing lab for PC magazines, I learned of a lute mailing list you could join by email and enter an ongoing discussion of lutes: the infamous lutenet sponsored by Wayne Cripps at Dartmouth. After lurking for a year or two I began to cautiously post a few notes and questions here and there, finally gaining the confidence to ask who else played lute in the Bay Area and might be interested in playing duets.

The first person I contacted referred me to a Dr. Michael Peterson in Fremont and after a short exchange of correspondence phone calls finally arranged to get together in my house to play through a few duets. He brought out his small student lute and I had my large 63 cm "galute" and was amazed and delighted to find his instrument was a million times brighter than mine--I exaggerate a little. We continued to play duets and Michael found others who had a similar interest in the lute; activities began to be planned for the local lutenists. I had rejoined the Lute Society of America at that time after an 8 year hiatus, but Boston and back East was too far away to go for seminars and conferences. So in 1996, with the aid of local and out-of-area teachers there began to appear an amazing number of local events for beginning to advanced lutenists. 1996: It begins.

Feb 24th 1996: David Tayler, a local teacher and director of the Collegium at Berkeley, gave a master class style presentation in which about 10 or 12 lutenists attended. It was a free event at University of Berkeley School of music and focusing on music by John Dowland and Francesco da Milano. I played Fantasia # 3 as transcribed for Guitar in f# tuning on the "Big Lute." It was soon after that I began to seriously consider getting a more HIP kind of instrument.

Michael Peterson next gave a lute party at his house that had people coming in from all over the Greater Bay area, some as far away as Sacramento. Franklin Lei, a local Renaissance and Baroque teacher and performer also made an appearance. There was much discussion on what we could do and the roots of much that follows began that day in the warm California sun.

In June there were performances around the Berkeley Early Music Festival activities by both David Tayler and Franklin Lei. Lute builders could be seen at the festival and their lutes, strings and vihuelas sampled with delight. Over the summer there was a Renaissance Dance class organized with lutenists and others. Half the class was forced put down their instruments and dance Galliards and Gigues while the other half performed. Then we traded places so everyone danced the dances. The class was presented by Angene Feves, Renaissance and Baroque Dance Instructor, very well known in the Bay Area music groups and elsewhere.

The final event of 1996 was the concert and seminar by Ed Martin in Fremont where a day long seminar was given by that fine performer and teacher. We played ensembles, learned about some of the spirit and style of the times and a master class was given in which everyone was to perform, from absolute beginners to those having plucked many a string in their time. Some local lutenists gave their very first public performances at that master class.

1997 and beyond

1997 was truly the banner year for Lute in the Bay Area. A true resurgence (what is that word I'm looking for, I know its a r-word) for lute. We began in January with another master class by Federico Marincola, a performing lutenist from Italy who was in the area recording a lute CD and was corralled into a day-long seminar in which we talked about esoteric philosophies of the Renaissance that any educated lutenist would know: Decorum, Sprezzatura and Grazie. It was a lovely time for all. Afterwards, the distinguished teacher returned to Michael Peterson's house and made authentic Italian Spaghetti. We also had a lesson in the proper way to eat spaghetti with decorum (and a fork, no spoon). You'll have to invite Federico to your neighborhood to learn these secrets (more on this later).

Franklin Lei started and continues a series of master classes in which we have discussed Baroque lute, Continuo, the latest scholarly research into the sources of Weiss, and much, much more. As a local lute meister these classes by Franklin has become an ongoing and much enjoyed continuing event.

Professor Joe Baldassare, medieval lutenist, came and performed in Fremont on his medieval lutes and other instruments in May. After having followed the discussion of the Medieval lute on-line I was most delighted to see its performance and learn more of its secrets and sounds first hand.

The grand event of the year was a week long series of classes on Lute and other Renaissance instruments ( I'm told there are others than lute) by the San Francisco Early Music Society with guest lecturer Kathy Liddell. Due to work pressures I was only able to stay for 3 days of the week long festival but in that time we were introduced to vocal lines of da Milano fantasia played ensemble style, the once terrifying German Tablature (we all survived it), and more. An impromptu lute band joined other instruments one night when Angene Feves (mentioned above) gave a demonstration-instruction in Renaissance dance. Gambas and lutes mixed it up with recorders and dancers in a night that will be long remembered. People could even hear the lutes--of course we did have about 6 or 7 of them as well as a large Archlute.

The season was capped this year with a return appearance by Ed Martin from out of the colds of Minnesota for another never-to-forgotten performance and master class. One of my favorite moments was when a pastor from the little chapel next door ( most of the classes and performances have been hosted at a the St. James Episcopal Church in Fremont) came in saying that the musician for the funeral next door had flamed out and could somebody please come and play a tune or two. Before I could volunteer another lutenist literally jumped at the chance and ran next door to perform pieces he would later play for the master class. A gigue is a gigue, as I like to say.

After the master class many of us trooped into Berkeley to see Hopkinson Smith play Bach and Weiss in a concert that was one of the finest lute performances I have ever seen in my life. A few of us went out afterward with Hoppy and drank and chatted and told rather bad jokes about lutenists.

So that is how things have progressed for our little group of Bay Area lute lovers I call the Lute Gang. Another person and I are collaborating on a web site to list and promote these activities. I find myself chairing the organizing committee for the SFEMS ( San Fran. Early Music Society) July Seminar for lute activities with another local lute-lubber. The moral is that it doesn't take that many people--at the most there are only 10 to 20 of us, never all in the same room at the same time--to pull together performances, master classes, out-of-state and out-of-country teachers who would be more than happy to come and meet and work with the lutenists, students, and lute-lovers in your area. Just takes a little organization, some begging, bugging and pleading, and most especially, a genuine love for the lute and its music, which is truly the most noble of its kind.

Addendum, 1998 and beyond

This article was originally written for some lute journal and so it is published here. Since writing it much has happened. Another summer seminar has come and gone in San Raphael. I have taken delivery of a 63 cm lute which I just this week strung up in gut. More soon...

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