Shoreham guitar virtuoso offers 20th anniversary Songs of the Solstice Christmas tour

Spokeswoman Laura Raymond said: “Richard Durrant’s annual Christmas tour is his heartfelt expression of a British Isles Midwinter much loved by audiences throughout the UK. For this year’s Songs of the Solstice tour Richard is once again joined on stage by singer Amy Kakoura, harpsichordist Howard Beach and two of Richard's musical children Daisy Durrant and Django Durrant.

“The tour stops off at the Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham on December 7 and 14 – and Saturday, December 20 at St Mary's & St Peter's Church, Wilmington where it all started in 2005. Tickets on richarddurrant.com/events

“A new album Ice Garden coincides with the Shoreham Beach musician's tour featuring live recordings from across Richard's 20 years of touring with several different line-ups. The incredible singing of Amy Kakoura, a tour regular of the past eleven years, features alongside appearances by the multi-instrumental Nick Pynn, Gryphon founder member Brian Gulland and family members Rooney, Daisy, Django and Felix Durrant.

“Ice Garden includes live performances of Johnny Flynn's Burial Blessing, Arthur Godfrey’s Barnsley Carol as well as Love on a Farmboy’s Wages by XTC and The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Centre stage are classic original tracks by various Durrants including the title track Ice Garden, Richard’s setting of Christina Rosseti’s poem Amen.”

Richard said: “The past twenty winters have been the most magical part of my life spent playing music and watching my four wonderful children grow up. As toddlers they would join me on stage and sing along. Now, variously, they come with me on the tour and contribute new songs and ideas. We all share a respect for both the Pagan and Christian aspects of midwinter and love spending these mystical weeks with Amy and our extended musical family.

“At each Songs of the Solstice gig you will hear the oldest carols, seasonal folk tunes, Christmas chart music and a wealth of new material contributed to by every member of the band. This year the band will include the recently rediscovered Barnsley Carol which also features on the album. Written in 1933 by Barnsley bottle maker Arthur Godfrey, it was then lost for the best part of 100 years.”

Richard will be playing his Gary Southwell Guitar made from a 5,000-year-old English bog oak. Audiences will also hear the custom-made Uffington Tenor Guitar especially built for Richard by Sussex luthier Ian Chisholm including a silver inlay depicting the White Horse of Uffington. Richard will also play JS Bach on an Ashworth Tenor Banjo from his recent album Four Strung Bach Technique, recently featured by Cerys Matthews on 6 Music.

Composer and concert artist Richard Durrant attended the Royal College of Music between 1981 to 1986. Richard has performed worldwide. He is celebrated in Paraguay for his playing of the music of Agustin Barrios and his lyrical, virtuosic interpretations of Bach’s works (on guitar, tenor guitar and ukulele) have received critical acclaim. In the UK Richard has appeared live on BBC Radio 2, 3, 4 and 6 Music.

Amongst a growing collection of original music for guitar Richard’s compositions include Six Grooves for Ukulele (ukulele and orchestra), The Girl at the Airport (guitar and strings) and Superluminal (on the life and work of Albert Einstein for solo tenor, chamber ensemble and electronics).