John DuRant profile picture

John DuRant

Old World Troubadour with comedy and song

About Me

John DuRant, the Old World Troubadour, has recreated the times and personality of an original strolling troubadour, when such people were the only general entertainment available to audiences in the many villages and small towns of Europe and Colonial America. Vocals, instrumentals, jokes, and storytelling were the mainstay for those strolling entertainers, as they are for John now.Over the past many years, in various historically accurate costumes of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, John has performed both inside and outdoors (in all varieties of weather) for audiences of a dozen and audiences of thousands throughout the Mid-Atlantic region - principally eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. His cable TV show for children, which ran for over five seasons, was distributed throughout the Frederick (Md.) area.A highly skilled singer and lutanist, his repertory of songs stretches from Medieval music to modern American folk music, including Colonial American and Civil War period material - all presented in his own highly entertaining style. Unlike many performers, John sings and plays entirely live-on-stage - complete with the occasional breaking lute string restrung "in real-time" to the accompaniment of suitable jokes and stories.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/3/2006
Band Website: home.att.net/~johndurant/
Band Members: For some, John DuRant is well known simply as The Troubadour. However, during his visits to the village of Revel Grove (The Maryland Renaissance Festival) he is known as Jonathan Strum, who is jealously and inaccurately described by his rivals (those damn Pyrates!) to be a cheat, a lyar, and a hard drinking scoundrel. Strum is best known for his quick wit, his recitations of poetry, and for his appearances on pub stages where he encouraging the audience to sing along with his naughty adult ditties. The usual life and travels of a troubadour is a one man show, but John does have a son that perfoms with him on occasion. John Jr. can be seen with John typically at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. The father and son duo can be heard not only at the Festival, but on select songs from "Home From the Sea." There are plans of a new album that will feature both of their talents, as well as guest artists in the near future.
Influences: Leah, Mom, John jr, Bob Zentz, Stan Rogers, Bill Stains, Joe Santoro, Kent Smith, Dan Wilson, George Grove, The Kingston Trio, The Musicians of Colonial Williamsburg, Tom Chapin, Alexander Mitchell, Bob Blackmore, Jeff Daniels, The Pyrates Royalle, Richard Follett, Seamus Kennedy, Bonnie Rideout, Sue Richards, and many, many more!
Record Label: Old World Troubadour Recordings
Type of Label: Indie