Les Penning
{{short description|British folk musician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Les Penning
| image = Les Penning.jpg
| caption = Penning in 2014
| birth_name = Leslie Penning
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1944|12|14}}
| birth_place = Wiltshire, England
| nationality = British
| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|Composer|Producer}}
| years_active = 1975–present
| module= {{Infobox musical artist
| embed = yes
| instrument = {{hlist|Recorder|Kortholt|Crumhorn|Cornamuse|Bowed psaltery|Gemshorn|Irish whistle|Keyboards}}
| genre = {{hlist|Rock|pop|Folk}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/leslie-penning-mn0002289623|title=Les Penning – Credits – AllMusic|website=AllMusic}}{{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/les-penning-rob-reed-phil-bates-belerion|title=Les Penning/Rob Reed/Phil Bates : Belerion, by robert reed|website=Robertreed.bandcamp.com}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Mike Oldfield|Phil Bates|Echo & the Bunnymen|Rob Reed}}{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/377702-Leslie-Penning?filter_anv=1&anv=Les+Penning|title=Les Penning – Discography – Discogs|work=Discogs}}
}}
}}
Les Penning is a British folk musician and composer, best known for his work with Mike Oldfield on the album Ommadawn and several of Oldfield's singles.{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Bradley |publisher=Billboard Books,U.S |date=1998 |title=The Billboard Guide to Progressive Music |page=145|isbn=978-0823076659}} He is credited with introducing Oldfield to medieval music through their time playing together at Penrhos Court.{{cite book |last=Dewey |first=Chris |publisher=Brimstone Press |date=2013 |title=Mike Oldfield – A Life Dedicated to Music |page=32|isbn=978-1906385354}}{{cite book |last=Maconie |first=Stuart |author-link=Stuart Maconie |publisher=Ebury Press |date=2010 |title=Adventures on the High Teas: In Search of Middle England |page=135|isbn=978-0091926519}}{{cite book|title=Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield|last=Oldfield|first=Mike|publisher=Virgin Books|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7535-1307-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/changelingautobi0000oldf/page/165 165–166]|url=https://archive.org/details/changelingautobi0000oldf/page/165}} He has worked with many other artists, playing woodwind, as producer or as recording engineer, and has created radio drama for BBC Hereford and Worcester and music for two S4C television series: Gwydion and an adaption by Gareth Miles of the William John Griffith novel Storïau'r Henllys Fawr. In 1978 he was a musician and performer on the BBC adaptation of ‘Kilvert’s Diary’.
He has appeared at Leominster Festival playing medieval music as "Leslie Penning and Company" {{Cite web |url=https://leominsterfestivalhistory.co.uk/index.php/Leslie_Penning_and_Company_(1980) |title=Leslie Penning and Company (1980) |website=Leominster Festival History |access-date=10 June 2025}}
In 1977 he was given the title of Sir Les Penning, Master of the King's music, by Richard Booth, the King of Hay.{{Cite web|url=http://www.richardkingofhay.com/|title=Richard King of Hay|website=Richard King of Hay}}{{Failed verification|date=January 2017}} He has recently worked on several projects in collaboration with Robert Reed including "Doctor Who Theme" and "Sanctuary II" and his albums Belerion, Return to Penrhos, and The Ringmaster Part One and Two.
Discography
;Albums
- The Worldes Goodnyte (2007)
- Througham Slad's Lost Sessions (2014) with Mike Oldfield (unofficial release)
- Belerion (2016){{Cite web|url=http://www.magentashopfront.com/page2.htm|title=5.1 MIXES - MAGENTA|website=Magentashopfront.com}} with Robert Reed, Phil Bates, and Miguel Engel de la LLave Jiménez
- Return to Penrhos (2019){{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/les-penning-robert-reed-return-to-penrhos|title=Les Penning & Robert Reed : Return To Penrhos, by robert reed|website=Robertreed.bandcamp.com}} with Robert Reed and Tom Newman
- Pipes of Penning (2021){{Cite web|url=https://www.tigermothshop.co.uk/store/Les-Penning-and-Robert-Reed-Pipes-Of-Penning-WHITE-VINYL-UK-option-p420408981|title=Les Penning & Robert Reed : Pipes of Penning}} with Robert Reed
- The Last Bells of Winter (2021){{Cite web|url=https://www.tigermothshop.co.uk/store/Les-Penning-and-Robert-Reed-The-Last-Bells-Of-Winter-p420414225|title=Les Penning & Robert Reed : The Last Bells of Winter}} with Robert Reed
- The Goat of Christmas Past (2021){{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/the-goat-of-christmas-past|title=Les Penning & Robert Reed : The Goat of Christmas Past}} with Robert Reed
;Singles and EPs
- Cuckoo Song with Mike Oldfield, Virgin, 1977
- The British Grenadiers, Polydor Records, 1977
- The Hay National Anthem, Hay Gramophone Gesellschaft, 1977
- Should Have Been Forever, Plant Life Records, 1983
- Willow Fair, Plant Life Records, 1983
- Sussex Carol (with Rob Reed), 2016{{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/track/les-penning-rob-reed-sussex-carol|title=Sussex Carol with Robert Reed|website=Robertreed.bandcamp.com|access-date=1 December 2016|archive-date=18 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318085030/https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/track/les-penning-rob-reed-sussex-carol|url-status=dead}}
- In Dulci Jubilo (with Rob Reed), 2018{{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/in-dulci-jubilo|title=In Dulci Jubilo, by Les Penning and Robert Reed|website=Robertreed.bandcamp.com}}
- The Floral Dance (with Rob Reed), 2019{{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/the-floral-dance-e-p|title=The Floral Dance E.P., by robert reed|website=Robertreed.bandcamp.com}}
;As a contributing artist
- Ommadawn, Virgin Records, 1975{{Cite web|url=https://tubular.net/discography/Ommadawn|title=Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn - Tubular.net|website=Tubular.net}} – Recorder, Conductor
- In Dulci Jubilo, Virgin, 1975{{Cite web|url=https://tubular.net/discography/Boxed|title=Mike Oldfield - Boxed - Tubular.net|website=Tubular.net}}{{cite book |last=Dewey |first=Chris |publisher=Brimstone Press |date=2013 |title=Mike Oldfield – A Life Dedicated to Music |page=184|isbn=978-1906385354}}
- Portsmouth, Virgin, 1976 – Recorders and feet
- Argiers, Virgin, 1976{{cite book |last=Lemieux |first=Patrick |publisher=Across The Board Books |date=2014 |title=The Mike Oldfield Chronology |page=35|isbn=978-0991984060}}
- Echo & the Bunnymen, Heaven Up Here, 1981{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/45115-Echo-The-Bunnymen|title=Echo & The Bunnymen|website=Discogs.com}}
- Harmony Revival, Original Copy (LP), Ellie Jay Records, 1981{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Harmony-Revival-Original-Copy/release/6969838|title=Harmony Revival - Original Copy|website=Discogs.com|date=1981 }}
- Robert Reed, Sanctuary III (LP, Album), Plane Groovy, 2018
- Theme from Doctor Who (with Robert Reed and Tom Newman), 2016{{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/theme-from-doctor-who-ep|title=Theme from Doctor Who - EP by Robert Reed|website=Robertreed.bandcamp.com}}
- Robert Reed, The Ringmaster Part One and Two, Tigermoth Productions, 2021
- Tubular World, Hergest Ridge 50th Anniversary Edition,2021{{Cite web|url=https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/album/hergest-ridge-50th-anniversary-edition|title=Hergest Ridge 50th Anniversary Edition|website=Bandcamp}}
- The Weever Sands, [https://theweeversands.bandcamp.com/album/secrets-of-the-pecking-order Secrets of the Pecking Order], 2022{{Cite web|url=https://theweeversands.bandcamp.com/album/secrets-of-the-pecking-order|title=Secrets of the Pecking Order - The Weaver Sands|website=Bandcamp}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-weever-sands.com/|title=The Weaver Sands Official Site|website=the-weever-sands.com}}
- The Weever Sands, [https://theweeversands.bandcamp.com/album/moonfish-songs-of-love-and-water Moonfish: Songs Of Love And Water], 2024{{Cite web|url=https://theweeversands.bandcamp.com/album/moonfish-songs-of-love-and-water|title=Moonfish: Songs Of Love And Water - The Weaver Sands|website=Bandcamp}}
Other music industry work
- BBC Hereford and Worcester – Radio Drama The Hall of Mysteries
- S4C television series: Gwyddion and Storïau'r Henllys Fawr (composer)
- BBC series: Kilvert’s Diary (musician and performer), 1978
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.facebook.com/Les-Penning-musical-page-393615284080030 Official Facebook Page]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penning, Les}}
Category:British folk musicians