Mind the Gap

Musicians
Matthew Robinson (guitar)
George Tarlton (guitar)
Daniel Bovey (guitar)
Jiva Housden (guitar)

Description

The colours and textures of four classical guitars bring to life a wonderfully inventive, eclectic mix of repertoire. Mēla quartet’s arrangements of organ works by J.S. Bach and César Franck are jutaposed with contemporary pieces first imagined for harpsichord (Stephen Dodgson’s Change-Ringers) and pieces inspired by Jimi Hendrix and other contemporary styles.

The Australian composer Philip Houghton’s piece Opals demonstrates his mastery of timbral writing for four guitars, “My world changed when I heard Jimi Hendrix and later on John Williams, Alirio Diaz and Julian Bream. Before that it had been the voice of John Lennon, Bugs Bunny cartoons, rain on the roof, cicadas, crickets and radio static.”

Bryan Johanson’s homage to Hendrix and Handel, Pluck, Strum and Hammer, includes quotes from works by both musicians that Johanson describes as, “passing each other in the score like two good neighbours passing each other in the street”.
Mēla quartet have been performing with each other for 2 years and have recently recorded a CD of chamber music by Stephen Dodgson collaborating with the Eden-Stell guitar duo, violinist Hartmut Richter and soprano Antonia Gentile. Mēla were International Guitar Foundation “Young Artists” and performed at venues throughout the U.K. including King’s Place, London.
The quartet all play on guitars by master luthier Michael Gee.

Programme
J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Organ Fugue BWV 578 arr. Mēla

Stephen Dodgson (1924-2013)
Change-Ringers
Intermezzo

Philip Houghton (b.1954)
Opals
Black Opal, Water Opal, White Opal

César Franck (1822-1890) arr. Mēla
Prélude, Fugue et Variation Op.18

Egberto Gismonti (b.1947)/Leo Brouwer (b.1939)
Frevo
Agua e Vinho
Baião Malandro

Bryan Johanson (b.1951)
Pluck, Strum and Hammer