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Gordon Ferries
‘Ferries achieves an astonishing array of moods and emotions...at once crisp, stylish and fun. This is a disc to listen to again and again’
‘Ferries is a master of musical subtlety’
Early Music
Instrumentation
- Gordon Ferries - Lute, vihuela and early guitars
Repertoire
‘Canción del Emperador’ presents music from 16th century Spain’s ‘Golden age’, performed on the vihuela, a guitar shaped instrument tuned like the lute and unique to the Iberian peninsula. The repertoire is contained in six printed books, this concert features music from them all, including Narvaez, Milan and Mudarra. Elegant contrapuntal fantasias in the Flemish style, Romances, telling of chivalric tales and the reconquest of Granada alongside uniquely Spanish villancicos of passion, and unrequited love. Ferries puts the music into its historical context and gives the audience a fascinating glimpse of Renaissance Spain.
A programme from this period with a soprano is also available.
Biography
Gordon Ferries studied classical guitar at Napier university and went on to study at
the Royal conservatoire of Scotland, specialising in lute and early guitar. He has now
established himself as a leading exponent of the baroque guitar. Gordon has worked
for both television and radio: arranging and performing music for Radio 4’s
production of ‘The Dreamer of the Calle de San Salvador’, featuring on ‘Scotland’s
Music with Concerto Caledonia and for BBC 2 television.
Gordon also performs regularly with various singers, both as an accompanist and as a vehicle for his own compositions, which have now been published by Bergmann editions.
He also played on the acclaimed album ‘Spoils’ by Scottish songwriter and guitarist
Alasdair Roberts and is to be found with him again on the ‘Food of love’ project,
released in 2017 which features new versions of songs from Shakespeare by various
artists. Gordon has released five much lauded solo recordings with Delphian
records. He has also been awarded two grants from the Scottish Arts Council
towards research at the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, the fruits of which appear
on his recordings. Gordon is also much in demand as a teacher and is involved in
teaching young people and adults in many musical styles.