voice and guitar

Voice and Guitar is a record of people dedicated to art song with the guitar; curated by composer / guitarist / singer Frank Wallace who has written over 100 songs, published by Gyre Music. Send a link for us to post if you are actively involved with voice and guitar as composer or performer.

[voiceandguitar]

Three Lorca Songs by Nick Benavides, performed by Jarring Sounds. Nick is a young composer in San Francisco making significant contributions to the genre. Jarring Sounds also hales from SF and is commissioning new work for voice and guitar as well as performing Renaissance and baroque music on authentic instruments.  All have degrees from my alma mater, San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

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Jarring Sounds was formed in 2011 out of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a result of mutual artistic interests. Comprised of mezzo-soprano Danielle Reutter-Harrah and Adam Cockerham, who plays guitar, lute, & theorbo, the duo is committed to the repertoire of early European songs of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as contemporary classical works of the 20th and 21st centuries. The small ensemble setting of a single voice and instrument allows for flexible creative interpretation not possible in a larger setting.

“Jarring Sounds” may have a modern connotation, which resonates with their affinity for contemporary compositions. The line is in fact taken directly from the lyrics in John Dowland’s (1563-1626) lute ayre “In Darkness Let Me Dwell,” one of the first collaborations between Reutter-Harrah and Cockerham. The name’s link to both early and recent works exemplifies the duo’s artistic mission.

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3.5  7:30pm Song recital with soprano Elizabeth Weigle, Bowdoin College Kanbar Auditorium, Brunswick, ME

works for voice and guitar by Vineet Shende, Judah Adashi, Peter Gilbert, DeFalla, and Copland, and solo guitar works by Shende and Adashi

http://www.bowdoin.edu/calendar/event.jsp?bid=676585&rid=79071#.UxNzJ_RdXoE

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Another wonderful and unusual voice and guitar duo from San Francisco, Alexandra sings and plays herself.  Great singing and playing! One Great City (!)

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Duo Fado performs Endecha by Matilde Salvador (by DuoFado)

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mezzo-soprano Gudrún Ólafsdóttir and Francisco Javier Jáuregui (via Multimedia @ Francisco Javier Jáuregui) perform their arrangement of Sof thú, blídust barnkind mín (Icelandic Folk Song). There is also a haunting performance/debut of Adriano by Agustín Castilla-Avila on their media page or YouTube channel.

[frankwallace]

I have recently received this unusual and wonderful CD from a new group of seasoned performers -

ASTERIA ENSEMBLE

Since 2009 Sytse Buwalda forms a duo with guitarist Saskia Spinder. Famous composer Leo Brouwer wrote and dedicated his Ballade de un dia de julioto them after hearing their performance at the International Guitar Festival Zwolle, as did New York based Greek composer Victor Khioulaphides with his song cycle Violenstraat. In 2011 they asked award winning mandolinist Ferdinand Binnendijk to join them which led to the foundation of the Asteria Ensemble: an ensemble specialised and dedicated to new compositions. This year they await new compositions by Victor Khioulaphides, Pablo Escande, Daan Manneke and Tom Edskes. April 2013 the Asteria Ensemble will release their first cd which will contain several world premieres by a.o.: Leo Brouwer, Victor Khioulaphides.

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Michael Nicolella has posted a video of his beautiful songs for soprano, guitar and orchestra.

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Syzygy is one of my grandest works - 40 minutes / 16 songs - on the poetry of my wife and partner Nancy Knowles. We are so grateful to the folks at Cal State Fullerton - and all the modern technology that allowed us to recover this five year old performance of selections.

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Concerts November 3 and 10; see Facebook link below for details.

Dave McLellan writes: I’m writing to introduce the voice and guitar duo of Rebekah Alexander and Dave McLellan.  Weformed this musical union in the fall of 2011, having discovered our shared inspiration to present classical music to a broad variety of audiences in unusual ways.

Our first major project is fully underway -- “This is My Letter to the World” is a musical presentation of great American and English poetry, and ancient Chinese philosophy in English translation. The program features music of three 20th English composers - Benjamin Britten, Lennox Berkeley, and Stephen Dodgson - and the American guitarist/composer David Leisner.

The program takes its title from the well-known poem by Emily Dickinson.  In its simple but deeply emotional setting by Leisner, Dickinson cries out to the world, who seems not to have noticed her intense emotional expressions in poetry.  Rebekah Alexander conceived of the program after a suggestion from guitarist Dave McLellan that they work together on a recital tour during the 2012-2013 season.

Facebook           www.facebook.com/dave.a.mclellan

Twitter              www.twitter.com/davemanstein

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El Canto Music by Frank Wallace; poetry by Jaime Goded. Recorded by Elizabeth Merrill, mezzo; Christian Waugh, baritone; Jeremy Lyons, guitar in recital at Peabody Conservatory in Griswold Hall on Sept. 22, 2012

[frankwallace]

This recording of Father Said: which I did several years ago is now available at CDBaby as a digital download. $4.99 for the whole set of 16 songs. I will be performing this cycle in Spain this summer for pilgrims along the Way of St. James. More about that in tomorrow’s post.

[voiceandguitar]

What a character!  CN Lester giving a great program of English art song with guitar:

Monday, May 21, 2012

7:30pm until 9:30pm

Lumen URC, 88 Tavistock Place, WC1H 9RS

Toby Carr - Guitar CN Lester - Mezzo-Soprano Songs from the Chinese - Benjamin Britten Five Lullabies - Philip Lawton Five Poems of Emily Dickinson - Jonathan Kulp Farewell to Stromness - Peter Maxwell Davies Dark Angels - Peter Maxwell Davies Nocturnal after John Dowland - Benjamin Britten Folksong arrangements - Benjamin Britten An intimate evening of 20th and 21st century art song for voice and guitar, including a newly commissioned setting of Roz Kaveney's Lullaby sonnets by Philip Lawton.

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— with Edward Trybek and Iris Malkin.

You can find in the CD a collection of beautiful songs for voice and guitar from England, Spain and Puerto Rico, including Jewish Sephardic music. The CD is now available for purchase online, and at  upcoming recitals. For more information about the CD: http://irismalkin.com/?page_id=18 http://edwardtrybek.com/guitar/recordings-Cad.htm www.irismalkin.com www.edwardtrybek.com

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DE LA RIVA GUARIN DUO

AN ENSEMBLE THAT PERFORMS MUSIC WRITTEN FOR VOICE AND GUITAR From early ages to modern times the combination of wooden string instruments....

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I just discovered the Arce/Meneghello Duo on YouTube. Nor did I know that Tórroba wrote songs.

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La Ma de Guido

Just discovered "The Hand of Guido," a CD company that has put out a number of interesting voice/string recordings: http://www.lamadeguido.com/nov_.html

LMG2090 Booklet (in english, español, català)     ROBERT JONES (c.1577-1617): The Second Booke of Songs and Ayres    Cantar alla viola (Nadine Balbeisi/Fernando Marín)

LMG2097 Booklet (in english, español, català)     La viola d'arc a la Corona d'Aragó / The Vihuela de arco in the Reign of Aragon    Cantar alla Viola (Nadine Balbeisi/Fernando Marín) LMG2098 Booklet (in english, español, català)     JAUME BOSCH (1826-1895): Obres per a veu i guitarra / Works for voice and guitar    Maria Teresa Garrigosa, soprano / Miguel Javaloy, guitarra