Right, the usual apologies for the lack of a recent update; as ever, busy busy busy on multiple fronts.
On November 28th I re-sat my classical guitar performance diploma with Trinity. I won't get the results until after Christmas, but I felt pretty good about it. Let's just say that if I don't make it over the line this time, I have some serious re-thinking to do about the whole solo classical guitar thing. But let's not get too ominous just yet.
I certainly did a lot of performance prep for the exam. On the Friday before I ran the complete set for my son Frank and his gf Izzy. Frank is, of course, a discerning music fan and a music maker of no mean ability, so that was daunting enough. But then on the Saturday, my teacher and the Brighton Guitar Quartet's "dear leader" Gregg Isaacson put on an informal intra-player afternoon concert at the delightfully bonkers Bom-banes in Kemptown. The BGQ turned in a couple of numbers as did Gregg's other more intermediate quartet (more of them below), and a bunch of us did a solo slot.
Then on Sunday I went over to Bexhill to play at one of the regular AK Classical Guitar Society events organised by the excellent Anastasiya Kryvanos and Kianush Robeson, and played Turina's "Homage a Tarrega", with which I went on to open my exam recital (no pressure there!) As part of the event, Kia turned in a fantastic half-hour solo set, the highlight of which was, for me at any rate, a relatively rare outing of Reginald Smith Brindle's "Five Etruscan Preludes". Kia has a beautiful sound and touch and he really brought out the mystery in these miniatures. Incidentally, the piece is featured on the recently released first volume of the complete Smith Brindle solo guitar works performed brilliantly by the young Italian guitarist Duilio Meucci.
Anyway, thanks to Kia and Anastasiya for organising such an enjoyable afternoon; I hope to be popping along to Bexhill again next year (details on upcoming events here).
But the classical guitar fun (or series of ordeals, depending on one's point of view) didn't end there, as last weekend it was the final Platform event of 2023 here in Brighton. I've mentioned Platform on many occasions on this blog. Organised by Brighton guitarist Jon Rattenbury, it provides a great opportunity for players of all levels to perform to each other, either solo or in various ensembles. The concerts always kick off with The Brighton Guitar Group, an orchestra led by Jon, and this time round they were in great form, performing pieces by Praetorius, Sor and Carulli. The BGQ played a couple of pieces from the new set we're working on, an arrangement of Mussorgsky's "The Old Castle" and the first movement of the late Australian composer Phillip Houghton's thrilling, numinous "Opals" suite. I also really enjoyed depping for one of the players in Gregg's "other" quartet who couldn't make it on the day; a bit of a semi-sight-reading by-the-seat-of-the-pants performance, but great fun.
By the way, Jon's orchestra is going to be performing a special concert next year organised by New Music Brighton, a group of composers based down here on the south coast. The concert will feature new music commissioned from NMB and at some point over the next few weeks I will submitting a piece. Or at least that's the plan - more soon on that front.
Lots of guitar stuff is already scheduled for 2024. The BGQ have gigs lined up in Brighton, Falmer, Rottingdean and Worthing with more to be announced. I'll be playing at the annual Springboard competition in Brighton in several solo categories and in a trio with Paul Dallaway and Shaun Bullard. Oh, and talking of Paul, I'm hoping to write an electric guitar duet for us to play at the New Music Brighton composers' concert in April. Something else to get cracking on. On and then there's Steve Gordon's Bach Band, with whom I'm going to be playing Brandenburg 6 at point, which is, er, daunting.
Anyway, news on all that as I have it. In the meantime... I've mentioned my continuing music theory and composition studies with Peter Copley here before. We're continuing with Bach figured bass realisation, and here's my latest effort:
We're also working on species counterpoint, working through Fux's "Gradus ad Parnassum". I haven't posted anything here so far as it's all a bit, well, exercise-y, but here's my first attempt at species 4 exercises (suspensions and syncopation) which start to almost resemble music.
A couple of other bits of miscellany. Long-term readers and friends will know of my abiding love of John Zorn's work; indeed, only last year I wrote about the life-changing moment of seeing Zorn's Naked City playing in London in 1989. Much to my surprise, Zorn's Tzadik label catalogue is now available on Spotify. I've done my best to keep up with Tzadik over the years, but the wallet can only be emptied so far, so this is great news (I shall of course continue to buy the CDs that particularly grab me). I've especially been enjoying the work he's written for the quartet of guitarist Julian Lage, pianist Brian Marsella, drummer Chas Smith and bassist Jorge Roeder. Here's just one of their recent albums, "Full Fathom Five":
Somewhat re-engaging with Zorn's work brought me to a couple of interviews he'd done over the last few years with Bill Milkowski, republished to commemorate the composer's 70th birthday. I was particularly taken with this quote, and will leave it here without comment: "I was never a believer in applying for grants. I don’t like to put my hand out to somebody and say, “Please help me.” I just went and did what I did and I managed to survive in the marketplace. I understand how some people can’t do that and need the grant process, but I find the grant process itself is so demeaning. Immediately, it’s like you’re asking daddy for a handout, you’re being judged by people who have no right to judge you, and if you do get the grant it’s usually half the money you asked for two years too late."
I also really enjoyed the first volume of the brilliant jazz pianist Brad Mehldau's memoir, "Formation; Building a Personal Canon". It's a gripping read, and at times shockingly candid, but among all the addiction and sexuality stuff, or indeed the Allan Bloom and Theodore Adorno (honestly, it's that kind of book) it's very profoundly about music. And also often very funny. I did of course, particularly enjoy the chapter about prog, which ends with an observation I can hardly fault: "... Punk is childlike as well, or teenage-like at least; it's immature to just say "fuck everything" indefinitely and never suit up and do something constructive in society. In my own wanderings, I've found grown-up proggers a happier bunch than grown-up punkers. They seem to age better." Quite.
That's it for this update. I'll try to get in a 2023 round-up over the next week or two. In the meantime, from the archive... Here's a recording of the first and only live outing for my project Boom Logistics. This was a performance at the Unitarian Church in Brighton supporting the improv group Fourth Page, whose bassist Peter Marsh and Paul May joined me in what turned out to be something of a loop-athon. (Brilliantly, the show was on the main Saturday evening of the London Olympics - the "greatest night in Britsh sporting history" as one friend put it - so the audience was somewhat threadbare). I actually find myself liking it rather more than modesty should allow, and am starting to wonder, ten years and several releases on, what a "mature" Boom Logistics live show might turn out like...
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