Julian Bream ws born in London in 1933 and studied piano and 'cello at the Royal College of Music there from the age of twelve. Later he was given a special scholarship to study guitar. In his early career as a guitarist and lute player, he was encouraged by the Spanish guitarist, Segovia.
As a solo instrumentalist he has toured five continents, playing with most of the major international orchestras. He also appears with other leading instrumentalists and singers, notably in duo recitals with the guitarist, John Williams. A series of eight films which he made in Spain chart the development of Spanish music for lute and guitar.
Bream has played a leading role in the revival of early music in Britain.
In association with the tenor, Peter Pears, he did much to revive the lute song. This Renaissance genre had declined in the eighteenth century as the keyboard became more fashionable than the lute. The songs usually have charming, memorable tunes supported by simple, mainly chordal accompaniments. The authors of their texts are often unknown, though some are known to have been written by recognised poets, including Shakespeare.
