WAKE UP and smell the coffee – concert guitarist Richard Durrant infuses his next appearance at Ropetackle Arts Centre with a magical Brazilian blend.
The gig, on Wednesday, April 24, will be extra-special for both his home-town audience and Durrant himself as he will be performing his favourite concerto in the guitar repertoire.
The world-class musician will be devoting one half of his concert at the Little High Street, Shoreham, venue to works by the great Brazilian composer Heitor Villas-Lobos, including his concerto for guitar written in 1951.
Durrant gave the Paraguayan première of this work in 2012 under the baton of maestro Luis Szarán and will be showcasing it at Ropetackle with internationally renowned keyboard virtuoso Howard Beach, who will be playing a new keyboard arrangement based on the orchestral score.
Durrant will also be performing music from Villa-Lobos’s guitar Preludes and Etudes.
The global flavour extends to the other half of the concert, with a selection of European and South American pieces that have proved so popular during Durrant’s most recent UK tours.
The Shoreham Beach-based musician is currently busier than ever, finishing off a Christmas album, which features his new Polar Bear suite, and is also looking forward to recording the third album of his Paraguayan trilogy.
Durrant first visited Paraguay in May, 2011, and during this successful concert tour he launched the first album – The Number 26 Bus to Paraguay – in the trilogy.
This album was the first collection of Agustin Barrios’s guitar works to be promoted in Paraguay by a foreign artist, an exotic case of “carrying coals to Newcastle”.
The awards and accolades followed, and Durrant returned to Paraguay a year later to launch the second album – Hijo de Hombre – in the series.
The great South American adventure continues this year, with Durrant due to return to Paraguay in November to launch the third album.
Tickets for his latest Ropetackle gig, which starts at 7.30pm, are available in advance on 01273 453422 or online at www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk
Anyone who wants to book a pre-show supper (served from 6.30pm) should call the Thunkshop Café on 07957 166092.
Fans of his music can check out Durrant on Facebook or at www.richard-durrant.com.