Comments on Festival 21, 2009
BCGS Member Mike Hurley wrote this to a friend after last year’s Festival 21.
Well, I did say hello to Michael for you. I liked him from the first minute I met him. I was so amazed that he took an interest in me! On Friday night, he played the first half of a concert featuring music of Ernesto Garcia de Leon. What a treat to hear him play in the Old South Church in Boston! I was unfamiliar with Ernesto’s music, so it was all new to me. Michael had a big smile when bowing during applause. After the intermission, Ernesto also played his own music. The acoustics are really great in that chapel.
What’s really amazing happened the next day. At 10 AM on Saturday, there was a Improvisation class with Ernesto. I had seriously thought about blowing off this class, but decided at the last minute to go. I was staying in a hotel room two blocks away, having just flown home from Milan Friday afternoon. I was exhausted. Well, it turns out that Ernesto doesn’t speak English, so Michael was the interpreter. The class started about a half hour late with just five people! We are all non-pros, just amateurs. Two or three more dropped in later. Looking back, what a treat it was to be up close and personal with these two great guitarists! Ernesto explained the rhythms which he grew up with such as the son musical style of Mexico, rumba, clave, salsa, etc. Michael used CD recordings from Mexico to demonstrate. Ernesto played a few measures on his guitar to demonstrate. He also explained how he improvises when playing. I ended up buying one book containing 24 Preludes, which I got Ernesto and Michael to sign the inside cover! Way too cool. Michael suggested I start with a prelude called Serenidad (Serenity) which Ernesto played in concert the previous night.
On Saturday afternoon, there was a Classical Guitar Society members concert where Frank Wallace and mezzo-sopranno Nancy Knowles performed. I bet you have heard of them; they are called Duo LiveOak. They have been performing together for many years. I have gotten to know and like Frank. He is an amazing musician. He has been the Artistic Director of the Boston Classical Guitar Society for the past two years. He went to the San Francisco Conservatory, and calls Michael his mentor and friend. Frank has composed many works for solo classical guitar, as well as for guitar and voice, lute and voice, and ensemble music. I bought two booklets of sheet music by Frank. Today I was sight reading pieces from a set called Six Prayers on Six Strings. Frank plays them so beautifully on his CD “Sketches”. Robert Ward, also a S.F. Conservatory graduate, past Artistic Director of the BCGS, and professor at Northeastern University played two pieces, one by Bryan Johanson (Magic Serenade.) Also, on Saturday afternoon, Michael gave a lecture on new American music. He played CDs of composers that have sent him new guitar music due to his encouragement. Michael is like a walking encyclopedia of music knowledge.
Michael Hurley
