May all good things be yours too. What lovely thoughts - please stay in touch and let us know how it all went, and yes, do post a picture of yourself.

Whatever about the historical accuracy of using a lute or not, I think it's a lovely idea for you to play one if you already have guitar chops. (Renaissance lute tuning uses similar intervals to the guitar, except that it's based in a G-tonality rather than an E minor one - the only difference is that you would tune the equivalent of the guitar's G string down a half-tone to F#.)

Certainly I have seen plenty of lutes being played in historical iconography, but surely the poor, alms-dependent monks could not have maintained one. Stringing a harp of that period was a simpler affair (you could, in a pinch, use plaited horsehair - and they're easier to build for yourself) though the point still stands. Religious orders varied in their material possessions and resources just like everyone else in society, I suppose.

But: How many people outside of us brilliant Mudcatters are going to know that? If you're a guitarist already, why not try lute too? People will derive pleasure from it, and whenever you do your ordinary busking I bet you'd clean up with the crowds :-)

Anyway, keep us posted. (You're sure about that barefoot thing? I feel the same as the others, but if you absolutely must do this, get a tetanus shot BEFOREhand. Really. I mean it. Afterwards isn't the same.)

Best of luck to you -

Bonnie