Neil Smith Concert

Programme

Hispanic/Anon 1st Millennium - Danza Mora

Enrique Granados, 1867-1916 - Dos Danza

Francisco Tarrega, 1852-1909  - Capricho Arabe, Gran Jota

Stepan Rak, born 1945 - Prague 1968 Taranto (to Neil Smith)

arr Neil Smith - Neil Gow's Shadow

Isaac Albeniz 1860-1909 - Three Spanish Pieces

arr Neil Smith - Flamenco Dances

selected pieces by Morel, Brouwer, Cardoso, Reis, Pernambuco and Dyen - Music of the Americas

Review

The Kemnay Church Centre, Aberdeenshire, was the venue for the inaugural concert and workshop by Neil Smith for the North East Scotland Classical Guitar Society (NESCGS). Neil Smith is a pillar of the classical guitar world in the UK and around the world and the NESCGS feels very fortunate to attract this highly respected and influential player for his first ever visit to Aberdeenshire.

Neil gave a stunning concert on Friday night to a packed Church Centre. Anyone who was anyone in the Aberdeenshire classical guitar scene was there for this unique event, including one guest who had travelled down from Inverness . It was especially good to see so many young people in attendance. Neil played a variety of music from around the world, both old and modern. His set included flamenco pieces, his own composition of Scottish tunes (Niel Gow's Shadow), much loved favourites by Albeniz and Tarrega, as well as pieces composed for him by Rak. He punctuated his concert with technique descriptions, insights, stories and personal experiences that brought the music to life. Two encores and a sell-out of CDs brought a very special concert to an end.