The 14th Annual Bach Music Festival is set to take stage in the city and warm hearts this July 28, as the legendary music composer Bach is honoured with the strum of a guitar.
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The Clef and Canto Music Academy is back at it again with their engaging and melodic tunes. This year, The Bach Music Festival will welcome the Trivandrum Guitar Ensemble and the Madras Guitar Quintet, two musical groups that have transcribed Western Classical pieces to suit the rhythms of the guitar.
The Trivandrum Guitar Ensemble is a group of talented young students who have been trained by Willy George, the coordinator of the Bach music fest and father of piano prodigy Julian Clef. As Willy’s “new born baby,” this city-based guitar ensemble is an example of how passionate students can spend their summer vacation fruitfully. Between April and May 2016, these six students spent their hours neck deep in the ocean of Bach’s intricate compositions, wading through complex three and four part arrangements. As others spent their summer vacation soaking up the sun, watching television favourites, and lazing blissfully, these students sat together for over four hours a day painstakingly studying Bach’s masterpieces.
The Trivandrum Guitar Ensemble’s holds a special place in Willy’s heart. He says: “Playing the orchestral form requires dedication, passion and talent. It was a great effort indeed! A particular highlight for me was training Akhil Vinay, an undergraduate student of Performing Arts at Sri Swathi Thirunal College of Music. He sings very well but is visually impaired. So, when he approached me to learn classical guitar it was a big challenge for me. I took it on as a special mission. By sitting together for many weeks, he is now able to play several beautiful compositions in classic guitar. The story of Akhil is one of the most satisfying moments in my 40-year musical journey and it is experiences like this that remind why I love music so much.”
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The Trivandrum Guitar Ensemble will also be accompanied by the Madras Guitar Quintet, an ensemble of talented musicians from Chennai, led by maestro Thangadurai Samuel. Dedicated to promoting Western classical music and grooming youth to appreciate the wonders of the guitar, the musical fest on July 28 can be thought of as the juncture of two very different musical ensembles. Despite their different States and levels of experience, the Madras Guitar Quintet and Trivandrum Guitar Ensemble will come together for their common love for Bach.
What’s more, Bach’s incomparable influence on Western classical music has resonated deeply with the city’s classical music buffs. Willy says: “Bach’s work is like the Old Testament. For the past 13 years, we wanted to honour the great music composer and it is has been a great success so far. The environment in the music hall has been intimate and charming as people all over the city who appreciate Western classical music come together for the evening. Now in its 14th year, The Clef and Canto Academy is ready to celebrate Bach with this new genre of classical guitar music.”
As public interest in Western classical music reaches a crescendo, the 14th Bach Music Festival is set to welcome the audience with an evening of renowned talent and musical delight. It will be a magical, picture perfect night as we are reminded of the power of music to transcend, transform and transfix.