God of the Northern Forest + Bach BWV1007

Two contrasting pieces:

God of the Northern Forest by Australian composer Phillip Houghton.
In order for the listener to more fully understand this piece here is what the composer himself says about the piece:

"God of the Northern Forest was written for my former teacher, noted Australian guitarist Sebastian Jorgensen, who gave the world premier of this piece at the 1990 Melbourne International Guitar Festival.

In composing this work I drew inspiration from bother Sebastian's Nordic heritage and his childhood experiences growing up in the Australian bush at Eltham, Victoria. I wanted to try and capture these two important aspects in musical terms.

In my imagination, a few images brought these diverse backgrounds and elements together. One was a distinctive symbol unique to the Australian bush at Eltham, the Eltham Copper Butterfly, and the other was a painting by the great 20th century Swiss painter Paul Klee. Finding the musical ideas to express these two contrasting images created a chiaroscuro (light and dark) effect, as the themes merged and interacted.

The guitar's bass string is tuned to F throughout. I did this because I felt the bass F captured something of the painting's "resonance", especially the powerful inverted D minor chord it makes with the open A and D strings. This chord, played "like an anvil", dominates the opening solo before returning towards the end, and is the backbone of the piece.

The title of the work is also that of the beautiful Klee painting that inspired it..."

Phillip Houghton, Sydney,

This is one of my favourite pieces. I also studied with Seb and was at the premier performance in Melbourne in 1990. Seb broke his thumb nail in the opening bars!

The music is published by Moonstone Music and is available from Phillip Houghton's website :
http://www.philliphoughton.com.au/order_page.htm

2. Prelude BWV 1007 by JS Bach transcribed by me, Samantha Muir

This video is my audition for the Cape Town International Guitar Competition 2011 :-)

For more information about me please visit my website :
http://www.samanthamuir.com/Samantha_Muir/Home.html

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Samantha
• Muir
• sammu5
• Phillip
• Houghton
• God
• of
• The
• Northern
• Forest
• Greg
• Smallman
• classical
• guitar
• Australian
• composer

[AndanteLargo]

... me again...

The 1007 sounds GREAT in C! YAY! Never saw that before. Clever, my dear.

Per-Olov

[sammu5]

Yes, C is good! Stanley Yates must take credit for being "clever" and choosing that key for his transcription. I thought it worked so well I had a go at my own transcription.... I just haven't had time to upload any other movements yet....

:-sam

[AndanteLargo]

Dear Sam,

I am so happy to see you back again. Hope your ankle is good again...? I have been traveling with Marie and it's amazing to be back and listen to all the talents here.

This is intriguing and beautiful. If you are not selected for the Cape Town Competition, I don't know who will. Are you going to Sydney too?

Love,

Per-Olov

[sammu5]

Dear Per-Olov,

Good to hear from you! The Houghton is indeed an intriguing piece. It would be nice to play in Cape Town so, fingers crossed... After Cape Town we are all going to Australia for 5 weeks holiday! Yay! We will spend some time with my mum on Magnetic Island (sounds like paradise doesn't it :), and then Sydney for a week, and finally to the west for a few days. I am very excited and can't wait for summer! Look forward to hearing more from you!

Love

sam :-D

[JesseGuitar07]

that was so so nice!

[sammu5]

Thanks Jesse!

:-sam

[TheJbensadon]

very very well played,very beatiful tone colours,charming and super clear,enjoyed every single seconds of this video,my most sinciere cogratulations!!Samantha,regar­ds from Gibraltar,Judah.

[macmanue]

Hi Sam, just dropping by to have another listen! It still sounds great! Hope you're well :)

- Michael -

[Gangly1]

This sounds very sad and angry....and deliberately so.

Long time no hear.

Are you ok Sam?

Paul

[marinhomarape]

Wonderful

[KlodeB92]

My ! This butterfly is full of telluric energy ,by contrast Bach's piece is soothingly fluid.Light and dark ,water and earth ,your chiaroscuro is succesful ! Bravo, have a good weedk end .Claude

[rdan06]

Hi Sam, it seems that I have missed your last upload...

I really enjoy what I listen !

Thanks a lot

Daniel

[NylonStringStories]

Very nice...!

[nylonguitar]

Love it! The whole package. Postage included : ) Great to see a new posting Sam. You are awesome...Steve

[hstrath93]

the houghton was amazing!

[Vreci]

Wow Sam!

It looks like the piece has been written for your guitar. It sounds so fantastic.

Really impressive playing too!

Thank you for sharing your music;

Wolfgang