Preview

Gordon Giltrap represents a unique British musical talent, with a guitar style, technique, and compositional skill that's made him world-famous. He was given his first guitar at the age of 12, and in 1968, aged 18 and heavily influenced by folk guitar legend Bert Jansch, secured his first recording contract. 10 years, 6 albums and countless concerts later, he found international fame with the hit single 'Heartsong', the first of 2 chart singles and accompanying chart albums. 'Heartsong was nominated for a prestigious Ivor Novello award, and was used as BBC TV's 'Holiday Programme' signature tune for many years. Further television music was commissioned, and a number of orchestral works.

As well as coming second only to Eric Clapton in Guitar magazine's 10th anniversary readers' poll, Giltrap was approached recently by his old friend Cliff Richard to appear in the hit musical 'Heathcliff' - he wrote a number of the show's tunes, and guested on Sir Cliff's track 'All That Matters' for the Princess Diana memorial album. Over a career of thirty-plus years, he's released over 25 albums; 2001's 'Troubadour' even features Sir Cliff on backing vocals!

An evening at the Talbot with this consummate 'guitarist's guitarist' will surely be an unforgettable musical experience. Book early!

'... one of the British guitar scene's foremost class acts and one of the most able acoustic guitarists of our time' - Classical Guitar Magazine

'... a modern day master of the acoustic guitar' - Guitarist Magazine

'... one of an elite few who truly have become legendary in their field' - Brian May

Review

Such is the reputation (entirely deserved) of Giltrap, the 'guitarist's guitarist', he drew an audience big enough to occupy every chair that Whistling Ted could find - this was very much a sit-down-and-listen night, as this wizard of the fretboard, seated centre-stage surrounded by a mouth-watering variety of guitars, convincingly demonstrated why he's regarded as just about the best there is in the acoustic guitar jungle. Gordon's 35-year career has taken him from the intensely competitive and influential 1960s Soho folk scene (alongside Bert Jansch, Renbourn, Davy Graham and an already slightly crazy John Martyn) to the West End theatre stage with his old mucker Sir Cliff Richard, via lucrative TV theme compositions and a panoply of technically dazzling albums. What is striking is the ease with which he straddles this broad CV, and he presents it with an engagingly intimate self-effacing modesty ... he's a subtle showman, a friendly, regular guy who happens to possess an extraordinary gift.

The No. 1 hit 'Heartsong', together with other examples of his familiar TV themes, sit happily alongside nuggets like Davy Graham's 'Angie' (a staple of Gordon's original mentor, Jansch), and a wondrous reworking of Clapton's 'Layla', while George Harrison's 'Here Comes the Sun' gets an adventurous stretching, and even Brian May's kitsch Buck House rooftop Jubilee take on the national anthem is gloriously recreated (on a half-size guitar, a £5 car-boot sale find) before our very eyes. Gordon employs some electronic gizmology, but only to enhance his melodic and technical dexterity, never to disguise it. An engrossing night from a man at the peak of his game.