John Williams - Concerto

Three new works for guitar performed by a true master of his art. Classic FM Drive Featured Album, 16 June 2014.

Guitarist John Williams has been touring Stephen Goss's Guitar Concerto around the United Kingdom as part of his last ever solo concert tour.
He now gives the work a superb recording on his own label with Paul Daniel conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 

'I have waited a long time to encounter concertos I really like,' the guitarist has said, 'which not only have a strong sense of their own identity of “belonging”, but also, within that, embrace the guitar so totally naturally.' 

The three works collected here are all very accessible. In addition to the Goss Guitar Concerto, the album also features Ross Edwards' Arafura Dances for guitar and string orchestra which has a stand-out slow movement, and Horacio Salinas' Danzas Peregrinas - which also include Richard Harvey on clarinet and Horacio Durán on the charango - a small South American lute - giving it an authentic South American feel.

It's a bold step to record and release new music for guitar and Williams has not only taken it but delivered magnificently.