John
Plunkett
This page features pieces by
John Plunkett
a Romsey-based SCGS member
Recordings
The Jindrich Feld sonata and the Rodrigo concerto were recorded when I was 19 in my first year as an undergraduate music student at the University of Surrey. The Fleetwood Mac and Barrios pieces are more recent recordings.
Sonata for Guitar II - Jindrich Feld
Jindrich Feld was a Czech composer best known for his flute Sonata. He wrote just this one solo piece for guitar. This is my take on the final movement recorded at the University of Surrey in 1989. It's such a great piece, I think it deserves a lot more exposure.
Production-wise the guitar is very close-mic'ed by the recording engineer. So it's not always pretty, intentionally so. The sound engineer was Paul Paragon who went on to become a two-time BAFTA winner (2008, 2011) for Best Sound (Factual).
Concierto de Aranjuez, Third movement - Joaquín Rodrigo
Rodrigo and his Concerto de Aranjuez need no introduction. Here is the Third Movement (Allegro con Brio) with the University of Surrey Chamber Orchestra, Simon Rushby conducting.
Songbird - Christine McVie
Here I accompany Sorcha Rose in a cover of Songbird . The song was written by Christine McVie, best known as one of the three lead vocalists and the keyboardist in the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac.
​
Video recorded at the Frog and Frigate in Southampton by Chris Meany
La Catedral, I Preludio Saudade - Agustín Barrios Mangoré
Barrios, the Paraguayan guitarist and composer, composed his Bach-inspired La Catedral in 1921. The piece impressed Andrés Segovia, who wrote, "In 1921 in Buenos Aires, I played at the hall La Argentina noted for its good acoustics for guitar, where Barrios had performed just weeks before me. .. At my invitation Barrios visited me at the hotel and played for me upon my very own guitar several of his compositions among which the one that really impressed me was a magnificent concert piece The Cathedral whose first movement is an andante, like an introduction and prelude... Barrios had promised to send me immediately a copy of the work (I had ten days remaining before continuing my journey) but I never received a copy."
​
Recorded 15 May 2021 at Abandon All Hope Studios, Romsey. Just a quick one-take. Guitar Guitar by Angelo Vailati 2019. More about the guitar here