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Event
Gordon Giltrap in Concert
To those in the know, Gordon Giltrap is rightfully acknowledged as one of the foremost acoustic guitarist the UK has produced. To the man in the street, however, the name might remain unfamiliar until, that is, they hear the opening of his signature piece Heartsong, at which point the likely reply will be oh, yes I didnt know that was him. This mix of familiarity and public privacy is a nice mixture to have but lets have a look at who Gordon Giltrap is, and where his career has taken him
Gordon was born outside of London, at the Home For Mothers And Babies in Kent, but spent his childhood very much rooted in the capital, growing up first in Deptford before moving to spend his teenage years in East Greenwich. Like many budding musicians of the time, he began his craft with a rather unsophisticated instrument in this case, a plastic ukulele with a picture of Elvis on the headstock but after acquiring his first proper six-string, a Martin Coletti guitar, there was no turning back.
Beginning by playing around the pub and folk club circuit in London, and quitting his job on a building site to look after his hands, he recorded his first, self-titled, album in 1968. At this point very much a singer-songwriter as per the vogue at the time, he gradually phased out the vocals until, following 1973s Giltrap album, they disappeared entirely. By that time he was using some limited full-band accompaniment, and this came to a creative and commercial peak with 1976s landmark Visionary record.
A concept album based around the work of William Blake, using his most ambitious band arrangements to date, the album became popular in progressive rock circles, leading to an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test. The follow-up, Perilous Journey, continued in the same vein, and even brought a hit single (and Top Of The Pops appearance) in the shape of Heartsong, which went on to enter the public consciousness when it was used for several years as the theme tune to the BBC TV show Holiday. By this point having formed a regular group of musicians touring as The Gordon Giltrap Band, another album, Fear Of The Dark, followed in 1978, but shortly afterward Gordon began to scale things down somewhat in terms of accompaniment, and by the 1980s had returned to his own roots in more of a purely acoustic guitar style, with albums such as 1987s Elegy proving his mastery of the form.
The 1990s saw Gordon team up with Cliff Richard, playing the part of The Troubadour on stage for a lengthy run in Cliffs musical work Heathcliff, and indeed his own album around the same time, also named Troubadour, is still regarded as a classic and one of his best works. While seldom straying too far from his own playing style, he has continued to be a versatile musician, always on the lookout for another great partnership, as he has released albums and played shows in tandem with such artists as Rick Wakeman, Ric Sanders, Raymond Burley and Martin Taylor. In 2013 he engaged in a particularly fascinating partnership with keyboard player Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick), producing not only the acclaimed album Ravens And Lullabies, but also a run of shows featuring the pair with a full electric band.
Most recent years, before and after the pandemic, have seen Gordon working regularly with Paul Ward, a talented musician and arranger whose style dovetails with Gordons as a natural fit, and the pair have released standout albums in the shape of The Last Of England (2017) and the most recent release Scattered Chapters. Now astonishingly in the seventh decade of his career, Gordon is still guaranteed to put on a consummate performance whenever he takes to the stage.
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LocationSt George's Venue in St George's URC, Hartlepool (View)
York Road
Hartlepool TS26 9HP
United Kingdom
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