Peter Bull

Peter Bull is a solo historical musician. He plays a wide variety of period instruments, many of which date back to the Middle Ages. These include the hurdy gurdy (a kind of mechanical violin), the dulcimer (an instrument with metal strings which the performer strikes with little wooden sticks or hammers), and the lute (a plucked string instrument with a round back), as well as the recorder and flute. He also sings, to the accompaniment of the lute. His repertoire ranges from the 13th to the 19th centuries (Medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, and Victorian). He uses appropriate music, instruments and costumes for each period of history. He also has a programme of traditional English music, which is not tied to any particular context. Peter Bull performs regularly at the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace with the historical interpreters Past Pleasures. He has appeared at many properties in the care of English Heritage and the National Trust, and at many museums and art galleries in Britain. He also performs at weddings and banquets. He has given solo concert recitals at the Leicester Early Music Festival, the Spanish Institutes in London and Manchester, the Leeds International Medieval Congress, and the Leeds City Art Gallery. In the Middle Ages, musicians were commonly referred to as “minstrels”. Since Peter Bull’s music is all performed from memory, it is easy for him to take on the role of a travelling minstrel, to mingle with the crowds at a Medieval fair, or to play the lute at a Elizabethan country house - just as might have occurred so many centuries ago.