Adelita / Lagrima (played on an acoustic guitar)

Adelita and Lagrima by Francisco Tarrega are two inseparable pieces which every classical guitar student would be familiar with. This version though is played on an acoustic “Maton” guitar attached to a delay pedal with which I experimented some 40 years ago. The result was an album called “Gentle Guitar” from which these two tracks are taken. The following is the commentary inside the cover of that album: Gentle Guitar is the fulfilment of a long cherished dream. Within it are contained some most precious moments. How could I describe the pure bliss of hearing “Spanish Romance” for the first time, when I was only twelve, and then the sheer delight of producing the first few bars on my guitar! It was the beginning of a true romance with this instrument. “Deep under the Sea”, another milestone… intense pleasure as I played the simple arpeggios. Gentle Guitar was recorded using a Maton steel string guitar and a delay unit, giving me the ring and responsiveness I needed for the desired ambient style. Thanks to this unique technique, “Orion” soared, “Song for a Child” rumbled like an ocean, “Mystified” unveiled its mysteries and “Staffa Island” revealed it’s treasures. Even simple classical studies like those of Sor and Carcassi acquired majesty and grandeur. Each piece in Gentle Guitar is like a flower plucked along the way – whether long ago or just recently; together, they make this beautiful and simple offering. EdL