Membersdirectory

Canterbury Archaeological Society was established in 1920 'to encourage the study of the history and antiquities of the City of Canterbury and surroundings and to preserve the architectural features and characteristics of the City.' Currently, its principal activities are to arrange a series of winter lectures by invited speakers on historical and archaeological subjects, and to organise summer excursions to places of historical interest. Non-members may attend the lectures on payment of a small fee. The programme for the lectures is published in the autumn. The Society seeks to raise and maintain interest in the City's architectural heritage.

The group acts as a friendly and informative forum for those interested in English ceramics from 18th century porcelain to modern pottery. Regular monthly meetings are organised with talks by international experts.

A membership society formed as a registered charity to celebrate Canterbury's history. Its first successful project has been the statues of King Ethelbert and Queen Bertha unveiled in 2006.

Our next concert is on MONDAY 21st Nov 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House (by the Marlowe Theatre). Matthew Robinson, guitarist and fully trained singer, will be performing solos by Regondi, Rodrigo, Tippett (Sonata “The Blue Guitar”), Dowland (fantasias and lute songs), and Walton (5 Bagatelles). Matthew has just completed his Masters in Performance with Distinction at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under their Guildhall Artists program studying with Robert Brightmore and David Miller. He is a versatile musician performing in many different styles and situations. Matthew performs regularly as a soloist, recently including the Richard Rodney-Bennett Guitar Concerto with Ensemble Neo-Melos conducted by Ben Gernon at the Purcell Room, London South Bank as part of the London Guitar Festival. He has also toured with Flamenco/Jazz virtuoso guitarist Eduardo Niebla and performs frequently with his Medieval ensemble The Artisans (www.the-artisans.co.uk) with whom he performed live on BBC Radio 3 as part of the Brighton Early Music Festival in 2011. Matthew's musical life began quite late, beginning to study guitar and singing when he was 16. He then joined the National Youth Choir and had lessons with John Forsyth and Simon Dinnigan on guitar. He then quickly went on to study at the Birmingham Conservatoire with Mark Ashford and Mark Eden and graduated in 2008 with First Class Honours. Masterclasses have included Manuel Barrueco, Graham Devine, Pepe Romero, Roland Dyens, David Tennenbaum, Pavel Steidl and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Matthew is still a passionate choral singer after 4 years as a chorister with St. Chad's Cathedral Choir, Birmingham and now sings regularly with The Syred Consort and other choirs throughout London, and we are privileged that we will be hearing some Dowland lute songs tonight.