Richard Durrant is a big kid. The most important things in his life are guitars, banjos and messing about singing songs. His four children Rooney, Daisy, Django and Felix are his sternest critics-often locking him in his soundproof studio. Over the years Richard has written and sung lots of songs for BBC Education. Three separate series of the classic BBC TV series Numbertime, and two other BBC mainstays, Watch and Music Makers, have made him a familiar voice to thousands of young children. Instrumental credits include Focus (BBC TV Ed) and Picturebox (CH 4 Ed). Richard has also appeared as a presenter for Music Makers.
Apart from his work for children Richard has composed the music for countless TV programmes, and has been the featured soloist on lots of TV advertising campaigns.
Richard studied guitar, cello and composition at the Royal College of Music. When he has time to practice he gives concerto performances and solo guitar recitals throughout Europe. Richard has scored and recorded the soundtrack for CBeebie’s popular animated series Metalheads, and for Walking Oliver he has collaborated with Paul Austin Kelly on a series of CDs, including Unleashed on British Isles, Through Tenderwood and DREAMS–The Poetry in Song Competition 2004.
Richard also composes television and concert music and spends much of his time producing others (notably the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain). He is the founder of the acoustic label LongMan Records. In 2008 Richard gave over fifty performances of his “The Guitar Whisperer” show. Future bookings include another appearance as guest soloist with the RPO and yet more “Guitar Whisperer” and classical recitals throughout the UK.
