I was deeply saddened and upset to hear of the death of Julian Bream today.
He was a lifelong inspiration for his incredible virtuosity, his musicianship and the way he informed and educated the musical establishment and a much wider population beyond, of the beauty and musical diversity of the guitar.
His energy and commitment to promote the guitar in every corner of the world throughout his life was breathtaking. His beautiful playing certainly determined the direction of my life.
He could lift any piece of music and make it sublime with an intimacy, intensity and connection that remains unsurpassed.
Every classical guitarist owes so much to him for his encouragement and kindness to young players, his early encouragement to the English school of guitar makers, his brilliant transcriptions which remain a massive contribution to the repertoire, his many memorable concerts and recitals and his early driving force to persuade so many 20th century composers to write for the guitar.
Surely the most fitting tribute to his memory is his own haunting interpretation of a piece written for him by Benjamin Britten, ‘Nocturnal’ op 70. based on John Dowlands book of songs or Ayers’ published in 1597 it has eight virtuosic sections which describes vividly disturbing dreams and troubled sleep before the final entry which comes home to the sweetness and peace of the Dowland original.
Come heavy sleep, the image of true death
And close up these my weary weeping eyes
whose spring of tears doth stop my vital breath
And tears my heart with sorrows sigh- swoll’n cries
Come and possess my tired thought-worn soul
That living dies, till thou on me be stole.
RIP.