June 26 Meeting Roundup

The June meeting of the Lauderdale Guitar Society offered a fascinating musical journey across more than four centuries of music. From Renaissance Spain and Elizabethan England to twentieth-century Mexico and Argentina, the evening demonstrated not only the versatility of the guitar but also the remarkable breadth of musical interests represented within the Society.

One of the most striking aspects of the evening was the way in which music from different eras seemed to converse across the centuries. Alongside authentic Renaissance and Baroque works, we heard later composers drawing inspiration from earlier musical traditions. Dance forms appeared throughout the programme, from Bach's Allemanda and Gavotte to waltzes, folk melodies, ragtime, and tango. The result was an evening that felt both wonderfully diverse and surprisingly connected.

The meeting also highlighted the rich family of instruments that sit alongside the guitar. Throughout the evening we heard not only classical guitar, but also mandolin, flute and banjo, each bringing its own character and historical perspective to the music.

Opening the Evening

Petros opened the programme with Bach's Allemanda from the Second Partita, followed by Manuel Ponce's Scherzino Mexicano. The pairing created an immediate contrast between Bach's formal elegance and Ponce's distinctive Mexican voice. Although separated by centuries, both works demonstrated how composers can create depth and character within relatively concise musical forms.

From Renaissance England to Modern Cuba

Toby followed with John Dowland's Air (As I Went to Walsingham) and Leo Brouwer's Estudios Sencillos No. 11. Dowland's music continues to captivate audiences with its expressive simplicity and emotional depth, while Brouwer's study showed how modern composers can create striking musical ideas using deceptively economical means. Together, the pieces offered a fascinating contrast between Renaissance lyricism and contemporary musical language.

Guitar and Flute in Conversation

Nick and Mike brought a welcome change of colour and texture with their flute and guitar duo. Rodrigo's Aranjuez, Ma Pensée carried echoes of the composer's most famous work, the Concierto de Aranjuez, with its unmistakable Spanish warmth and lyricism.

Their second work, Francis-Paul Démillac's Petite Suite Médiévale, transported listeners to an imagined medieval world of dances, songs, and courtly elegance. The piece provided an intriguing link to many of the genuinely early works featured elsewhere in the programme, illustrating how twentieth-century composers often looked back to historical styles for inspiration. The blend of flute and guitar proved particularly effective in evoking these ancient musical colours.

While Nick and Mike opted not play the programmed Movement Perpetuel by Poulenc, we do hope that they will return and share it.

Bach Returns

Avron's performance of Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring brought one of the most beloved melodies in classical music to the programme. Its calm and reflective character interspersed by sustained chords reminiscent of the organ provided a moment of serenity amidst an evening rich in variety and contrast.

Twentieth-Century Elegance

Sara's performance of Alexandre Tansman's Barcarole showcased the refined harmonic language of one of the twentieth century's most important contributors to the guitar repertoire. Inspired by the traditional Venetian boat song, the piece combined lyricism and gentle movement in equal measure. I am sure we can all agree that Sara nailed the phrasing of this piece.

Mandolin Virtuosity

Stuart and Steven introduced a contrasting set of pieces by Carl Bohm and Thomas S. Allen. As always, Stuart performed on mandolin rather than guitar, bringing a bright and distinctive voice to the ensemble. Bohm's Scherzoso and Valse-Etude combined technical flair with melodic charm, while Turkish Towel Rag added a delightful touch of ragtime humour. The pairing of mandolin and guitar proved particularly effective, highlighting the different tonal colours available within the plucked-string family.

Carl Böhm: The Composer Who Helped Publish Brahms

When Stuart and Steven performed Carl Böhm's Scherzoso and Valse-Etude , they introduced us to a composer who was once far more famous than many music lovers realise.

Today, Böhm is remembered primarily for a handful of salon pieces and teaching works, but during the late nineteenth century he was one of Germany's most commercially successful composers. His music was widely performed in homes, music societies, and concert halls, making him a household name amongst amateur musicians.

An intriguing story from the period illustrates just how successful Böhm was. His publisher, Fritz Simrock, is said to have remarked that the profits from publishing Böhm's music helped finance the publication of the works of Johannes Brahms. While Brahms is now regarded as one of the giants of classical music, his compositions appealed to a more specialised audience and were not always the commercial successes that Böhm's popular works proved to be.

The anecdote serves as a fascinating reminder that artistic reputation and commercial success do not always travel hand in hand. In his own day, Carl Böhm's music sold in enormous quantities and helped support the publication of works that would later become central to the classical canon.

Listening to Böhm's music today, it is easy to understand its appeal. Melodic, elegant, and immediately engaging, works such as Scherzoso and Valse-Etude possess a charm that continues to delight audiences more than a century after they were written. While history may have elevated Brahms to greater prominence, composers such as Böhm played an important role in the musical life of their time and deserve to be remembered for the enjoyment they brought to countless musicians and listeners.

Scotland Meets Italy

Lorna's pairing of the traditional Scottish tune Bonnie Dundee with Cimarosa's Larghetto beautifully illustrated the meeting of folk and classical traditions. Though very different in origin, both pieces shared an appealing directness and melodic elegance.

Music from the Spanish Renaissance

Ken took us back to the sixteenth century with Pisador's Villanesca and Narváez's Canción del Emperador. These works offered a glimpse into the musical world from which much of the guitar's repertoire ultimately evolved. Their elegant lines and understated beauty provided an important historical anchor within the evening's programme.

The SKS Trio

Sara, Serge, and Ken joined forces as the SKS Trio for performances of Scarlatti's Sonata K430 and Delibes' Flower Song from Lakmé. The combination of Baroque keyboard brilliance and nineteenth-century operatic lyricism demonstrated once again how effectively music from diverse origins can be reimagined through ensemble performance.

Steven's Solo Set, A Glimpse into Another Musical Age

One of the evening's most interesting contributions came from Steven's solo set. Rather than performing on guitar, Steven played a banjo, bringing an entirely different historical voice to the programme.

Particularly fascinating was the instrument itself. Unlike the metal-rimmed banjos most people associate with modern folk and bluegrass music, Steven's instrument featured a wooden construction, producing a softer, warmer, and rounder tone. The banjo was made by Alfred Farland, one of the leading figures of the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century banjo world.

This was a period when the banjo occupied a very different place in musical culture. Far from being associated primarily with folk traditions, the banjo was frequently heard in concert halls and drawing rooms, performing sophisticated classical repertoire. In some circles it enjoyed a level of popularity and prestige that rivalled, and sometimes exceeded, that of the classical guitar.

Steven's performances of Alfred Cammeyer's Prelude, Bach's Gavotte, and Thomas J. Armstrong's Royal Rag provided a fascinating reminder of this often-overlooked chapter in the history of fretted instruments. The mellow tone of the wooden banjo lent the music a distinctive character while retaining clarity and elegance throughout.

A Return from Petros

Later in the programme, Petros returned with Weiss's Passacaille. Weiss remains one of the towering figures of the lute repertoire, and his music continues to resonate with modern guitarists. The work's architectural strength and expressive depth provided one of the evening's most substantial contributions and served as a fitting reminder of the guitar's deep historical roots.

Dennis and Capricho Árabe

Before the final ensemble performances, Dennis treated the audience to Tárrega's beloved Capricho Árabe. For this performance he played Avron's Oren Myers spruce and maple guitar, an instrument noted for its excellent note separation, balance, and clarity. The piece's flowing melodies and intricate textures benefited enormously from these qualities, allowing individual voices to emerge clearly while maintaining the warmth and lyricism for which the work is famous. Dennis drew a particularly beautiful sound from the instrument, demonstrating just how effective Capricho Árabe can be when performed on a guitar capable of combining clarity with musical richness.

Bringing the Evening to a Close

The final set from Stuart and Steven led listeners through Carlos Gardel's Desdén before concluding with movements by Loeillet de Gant and Tomaso Albinoni. Once again Stuart performed on mandolin, bringing its bright, singing tone to the partnership.

Gardel's music introduced the distinctive flavour of Argentine tango, while the Baroque sonatas provided an elegant conclusion to the evening, returning us once more to the historical traditions that had featured so prominently throughout the programme.

Looking Back

One of the most remarkable aspects of the evening was the sheer breadth of music represented. We travelled from Renaissance Spain and England to Baroque Germany and Italy, from Scottish folk traditions to French, Cuban, Mexican, and Argentine influences. Along the way we encountered not only guitar music, but music originally written for lute, keyboard, voice, orchestra, mandolin, flute, and banjo.

Perhaps the strongest theme of the evening was continuity. Whether through Bach's enduring influence, the rediscovery of Renaissance repertoire, Démillac's evocation of medieval music, or Steven's exploration of the classical banjo tradition, the programme demonstrated how musicians continually rediscover and reinterpret the past.

As always, our thanks go to all who performed, attended, and supported the evening. The Lauderdale Guitar Society continues to thrive because of the enthusiasm, generosity, and musicianship of its members, and we look forward to another enjoyable evening of music at our next meeting.