Tribute to Early Music Pioneer David Munrow, 50 Years After His Death

The connoisseur of the crumhorn, the showman of the shawn: the brilliance of early music pioneer David Munrow

Six decades ago, Munrow’s passionate and persuasive advocacy for early music opened audience’s eyes and ears – and took the rackett on to primetime TV. Fifty years after his early death, we look back at an inspirational and influential musician In March 1968, a 25-year-old musician strode on to the stage of London’s Wigmore Hall with a collection of unusual instruments. He proceeded to entertain the audience with tongue-in-cheek descriptions of a shawm, a crumhorn and a rackett – the first t...

By Edward Blakeman