Duncan Gardiner

You are warmly invited to attend the official CD launch of acclaimed guitarist Duncan Gardiner. His album contains a selection of evocative pieces that conjure up dreams, fantasies, memories and images.

Gardiner’s album, Of Dreams and Fantasy, features a selection of fantastical music comprising of a host of his original works as well as music composed by his friends. The album also contains some 19th century gems arranged for guitar. Coupled with violin and atmospheric effects, Gardiner’s guitar creates soundscapes that carry emotion to the listener.

The CD was voted ‘CD of the Week’ in The West Australian and it was showcased on local radio station RTR FM. It currently receives frequent air-play on Australia’s most respected classical music station, ABC Classic FM.

The concert will feature live performances of highlights from the CD along with exciting new works. Duncan will be joined in the concert by fellow musicians performing on instruments such as violin, flute, bass, percussion, piano and vocals.

The launch will take place on August 21st with doors opening at 7:00PM. It will be held at the charming Camelot Theatre in Mosman Park. Tickets for the event are $15 and $10 concession. Tickets are available at the door or by calling 0402 305 409. The CD will be available for sale on the night for $20. The bar will be open for refreshments throughout the evening. For more information visit www.duncangardiner.com

Let the music take you on a journey that will engage your senses, your heart and your soul.

“Duncan Gardiner’s extraordinarily attractive music is not only a pleasure to listen to but a delight to play.”

“A delicate, serene and magical experience.”

“Magnificent. I was transported to another world for an hour.”

Below are the lyrics to my song, Spider Jack. The lyrics were written by my cousin, Megan Higgins. Initially intended to be a recipe which included all the ingredients necessary to make a spider jack, I was inspired to set the words to music.

You can see the soundtrack on YouTube by clicking on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlouCX6rdTk

The clip features the guitar version of the song, accompanied by original artworks, also by my cousin Megan.

Spider Jack

You’ll need a pinch of spiders first of all,

A blast of psychedelic music,

A dash of creativity,

A handful of black hair.

A few old fairytales,

Three cups of tea,

Half a bag of dreams,

A lullaby.

A good helping of cobwebs,

Eight stripy socks,

A dusty attic window

And a spoonful of moonlight.

Then you mix all the ingredients together and serve immediately with a little sprig of fresh parsley.

Here are a few words (questions, rather) about love that came to me recently. I’ve since set the words to music in a few settings, such as a piece of spoken poetry with guitar accompaniment, a song using the words as lyrics with guitar accompaniment as well as a piece for harp and voice inspired by the words. Watch this space!

If our love…

If our love was a painting, what would our love look like?

If our love was a song, what would our love sound like?

If our love was a name, what would our love be called?

If our love was a journey, where would our love lead us?

If our love was a painting, would our painting be pretty?

If our love was a song, would our song be sweet?

If our love was a name, would our name be memorable?

If our love was a journey, would our journey lead us home?

We are responsible.

Let us make it so.

By Duncan Gardiner, 2010.

Typically, I like to keep my professional ‘artist profile’ rather short and sweet, but I thought I would elaborate a little into my history as a performer-composer in this less formal setting. My personal history as a performer-composer ventures well into childhood. Since picking up the guitar at the age of nine, it wasn’t before long that I was composing pieces for myself and performing these original works in public concerts organised through my primary and secondary schooling. I don’t recall ever being encouraged to compose, though I was always inspired by music teachers. One particular teacher who may have inspired me to compose was my primary school classroom music teacher, Michael Leadabrand. In addition to his usual teaching duties, he directed the school recorder ensemble. His original compositions made up the entire repertoire of the ensemble. New works were plentiful. We could expect at least one new wonderful work per month or so and every two years the school would stage a musical complete with original music by Michael Leadabrand performed by the recorder ensemble with vocal soloists and/or combined choir.

I sought specialist music training in my secondary schooling. I received formal classical music instruction and was introduced to a wide range of style of music-making in the many ensembles and groups I rehearsed and performed with, including choirs, string orchestras, guitar ensembles, concert (wind) bands, jazz bands and a recorder consort in addition to playing in symphony orchestras outside of school.

I became acquainted with some of the earlier music notation software programs, such as Encore, in my teens. Such music notation programs facilitated and encouraged me to explore composition further. I started making arrangements of pre-existing works for the ensembles that I rehearsed with at school and this led to writing many original compositions for guitar, and chamber groups involving violins and other string instruments.

Writing music became a favourite hobby of mine. I could even go on to say that I was obsessed with composition. Composition took more of an official role when I began tertiary music studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) where I found myself surrounded by composers. In fact, certain units within the course require that all students compose works in specific styles and/or genres. In the final year of my undergraduate degree, I took a composition elective and this is where my skills as a composer developed to the next level.

In the period between completing my undergraduate degree and commencing postgraduate studies, I focussed solely on the composition and performance of new works. My aesthetic as a musician is to express something honest to an audience, to communicate something personal, and to speak a language that I can clearly articulately. I’ve found, for the most part, that it’s only through the performance of original compositions that I can achieve and fulfil this aesthetic.

Since the year 2007, original compositions are made a feature of in almost every concert programme. Though it must be said, I am a product of the age in which I live. I was raised and trained in a musical environment where it is expected that a young musician will learn the great works of the masters, that a student will learn technique as expressed through studies and didactic works in the great methods of master instrumental technicians.

I do still perform the works of others, I do occasionally transcribe or arrange pre-existing works and I do delve into and practice the techniques devised by those who have come before me. I still organise my concerts into the moulds set by performers of the past. However, I feel as if my music is with the times. My music is a reflection of my life and therefore it is influenced by the past as well as being able to look towards the future. My compositions have always met a good reception. This inspires me to continue down a path that is scarcely trodden by the majority of mainstream performers of the classical guitar.

As long as I have a song in my heart I will continue to sing.

The Man and the Moon

If I had a dream, you’d be a part of it.

If I wrote a song, you’d be the star of it.

If I grew a rose, you’d be the heart of it,

‘coz I love you!

If I were the land, you’d be the life of it.

If I were the moon, you’d be the light of it.

If I were the sun, you’d bring your warmth to it.

Oh, I love you!

I have a hope, to live my life with you.

I have a plan, to walk in line with you.

I have a wish, to die beside you,

‘coz I love you!

I have a dream, and you are a part of it.

I wrote the song, and you are the star of it.

I grew the rose, and you are the heart of it.

Oh, I love you!

by Duncan Gardiner, 2010.

Incense and Arabie

I see your light and you open up my eyes to love.

I see you, and you’re beautiful.

I hear your call and you open up my ears to love.

I hear you, and you’re beautiful.

Your beauty has no end and has no start.

Your beauty is of love and is of heart.

These are the reasons why I’d never wish to part with you.

Your beauty speaks of truth and honesty.

Your beauty is of regal majesty.

These are the reasons why I wish to live my life with you.

I taste the salt, the sun, the earth, the sea on you.

I taste you, and you’re beautiful.

I smell perfume – Incense and Arabie – on you.

I smell you, and you’re beautiful.

Your beauty has no end and has no start.

Your beauty is of love and is of heart.

These are the reasons why I’d never wish to part with you.

Your beauty speaks of truth and honesty.

Your beauty is of regal majesty.

These are the reasons why I wish to live my life with you.

I feel your touch. In your arms I feel at home with you.

I feel you, and you’re beautiful.

I sense your soul. I sense your magic and your glow with me.

I sense you, and you’re beautiful.

Your beauty has no end and has no start.

Your beauty is of love and is of heart.

These are the reasons why I’d never wish to part with you.

Your beauty speaks of truth and honesty.

Your beauty is of regal majesty.

These are the reasons why I wish to live my life with you.

I know you, and you’re beautiful.

by Duncan Gardiner, 2010

I never thought myself to be much of a wordsmith, but my song lyrics seemed to have made quite an impression on a number of recent concert goers. So much so, that copies of the texts were requested!

It gives me great pleasure to share them with you. However, I ask that you credit them to me in case you wish to use  or reproduce them in any way.

Please find them in their completeness in the following two posts.

On Sunday, April 18th, 2010, the guitar and violin team of Duncan Gardiner and Dora Maria gave a recital for the City of Joondalup. They presented the first concert for the year of the series known as the Sunday Serenades, which is presented for the City of Joondalup in the lavish, spacious surrounds of the Joondalup Civic Chambers.

They presented a concert of firsts. It was the first time they had ever presented a recital consisting entirely of Duncan’s original concerts. Some of Duncan’s works received their first ever performance. The concert featured the first duo ever composed for guitar and violin by Duncan. The concert featured arrangements of the first love songs Duncan has ever written. The concert also featured some new elements, such as the first time Dora ever played viola in the duo, and the first time Duncan ever played piano in public!

The venue was packed – not a single seat remained vacant in the 170-seat gallery. The audience seemingly enjoyed the concert thoroughly as their feedback at the end of the concert was extremely positive. The concert organisers collect feedback forms after each concert and to the delight of the duo, there were no major complaints to speak of!

Below are some of the comments from Duo Diavolo’s concert of firsts:

“I really enjoyed the concert. Duo Diavolo were one of the best acts I have seen.”

“Two beautiful souls imparting music as one from musicians to audience. How Glorious!… Nice to hear not the norm music for a change. I feel up-lifted.”

“Very professional performances by both players. Would like to hear both playing solo concerts.”

“One of the best performances I’ve seen in a long time. Highly recommended.”

“A delicate, serene and magical experience.”

“Duncan and Dora – magnificent. I was transported to another world for an hour.”

“Very moving concert. His innocence and earnest delivery were most enjoyable. The violin was played with such grace. Great piano playing too.”

“Duo Diavolo were excellent – hope to see them again.”

Here are the links to some of the publicity for the concert:

http://epaper.communitynews.com.au/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=V1gvMjAxMC8wNC8wOCNBcjAwNDAx&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

http://epaper.communitynews.com.au/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=V1gvMjAxMC8wNC8wOCNBZDAxMDA2&Mode=G&Locale=english-skin-custom

My debut album Of Dreams and Fantasy got off to a great start when it received some great press being named ‘CD of the Week’ in the Western Australian newspaper, Nov. 5, 2009.

Following is the complete article in full: “Duncan Gardiner is a young Perth classical guitarist/composer who describes his album Of Dreams and Fantasy as containing “a selection of evocative pieces that conjure up dreams, fantasies, dreams and images”. This is a little gem of a disc, featuring original compositions for guitar, sometime together with violin or flute, as well as works by Paul Svoboda, Johann Kaspar Mertz, Phillip Houghton and Schubert. The mood throughout is appropriately relaxed and dreamlike – though never the technique or the musicianship, which is considerable. For musicians, a handsomely produced book is also available containing the disc’s content in full score. www.duncangardiner.com.”