Gordon Giltrap announces new album

Gordon Giltrap

The gifted British guitarist Gordon Giltrap MBE, in collaboration with the keyboard player Paul Ward, is to release a brand new eighteen-track album entitled Scattered Chapters, on Friday, November 4th 2022. Composed during lockdown, the album moves effortlessly through a dazzling series of moods and styles, with the interplay between Giltrap and Ward a true musical master class, without ever becoming an exercise in empty virtuosity. Closing out the album is a rendition of Giltrap’s classic Heartsong’, his sparkling 1977 smash hit. The album acts as a musical soundtrack to the book of the same name by Nicholas Hooper. Here, Gordon Giltrap shares some thoughts on the album:

 “I want to share with you the essence of what inspired and created much of the music on Scattered Chapters. They say that many musical creations have been born out of suffering and I believe that to be true from the greatest musical genius to the least.

Here are a couple of examples that spring to mind. Vaughan Williams wrote some of his most profound pieces in response to the suffering he observed and experienced whilst serving in the First World War.

Pete Townshend’s beautiful ‘The Sea Refuses No River’ was written during a very fragile period in his life.  Martin Taylor wrote a heartfelt piece entitled One Day in memory of his son Stuart who committed suicide, and it was Martin who found him.

Two of my pieces on Scattered Chapters, ‘Through Braden’s Door’ and ‘The Melody Weavers Son’ initially dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Del Newman revealed to me that it was really an outlet for the personal grief at the loss of my dear son Jamie. ‘Through Braden’s Door’ was written for my lovely daughter in law Karen and my beautiful grandson Braden who were both trying to come to terms with the loss of a husband and father.

Paul Ward’s beautiful ‘Requiem’ was written in memory of his parents who jointly committed suicide.

This of course, is all very powerful and heart rending stuff but the point is that we as artists are privileged to have an outlet for these deep emotions expressed through the power of music.

So now you will all hopefully understand that this album isn’t just a collection of tunes but a sharing of our personal suffering with the listener and hopefully it could bring a degree of healing comfort to all who have suffered profound loss.

Thank you for reading this thus far and for allowing me to share it with you.”

Artist’s website: https://www.giltrap.co.uk/

‘Heartsong’ – live:

 


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