Life
Christopher Wilson was born in 1951 and is a British lutenist who has performed widely and recorded extensively across sixteenth- and seventeenth-century solo lute repertoire. He studied with Diana Poulton at the Royal College of Music in London from 1970 to 1972 and made his Wigmore Hall debut recital in 1977. His recordings include the lute music of Francesco da Milano, vihuela music by Luis de Milán and Luis de Narváez, and multiple volumes of Dowland’s songs with tenors Paul Agnew and Rufus Müller and countertenor Michael Chance. He has performed with ensembles including Fretwork, the Hilliard Ensemble, and the Consort of Musicke, and co-directs the duo Kithara with lutenist and singer Shirley Rumsey.
Impact
Christopher Wilson’s Naxos and Hyperion recordings of Francesco da Milano and Spanish vihuela repertoire helped bring lesser-known corners of the sixteenth-century plucked-string literature to a broader listening public. His long-running duo Kithara and frequent song collaborations with leading English tenors and countertenors have also kept English lute song at the center of Britain’s early-music concert life.
Repertoire
Carman’s Whistle by John Johnson
Christopher Wilson – Carman’s Whistle