Review: John Williams & John Etheridge, The National Centre For Early Music, York

10:27am Wednesday 14th May 2008

WHAT an inspired combination - the nylon strings of classical guitarist John Williams and the steel strings of his jazz counterpart John Etheridge.

The duo's virtuosity on a sultry Sunday afternoon before a packed house in St Margaret's Church, off Walmgate, York, was compelling. Cheerful music from Africa chimed with the sunny weather. They started off with a piece by the Cameroon composer Francis Bebey, followed by a tune from Senegal in West Africa.

The two guitarists stepped up the intensity with a medley of Mali tunes which featured stunning crescendos.

An Etheridge composition about a casino featured fireworks on the frets as the duo traded intricate riffs at breakneck speed, yet in perfect time, while a Williams composition, entitled Extra Time, was inspired by a Bach prelude.

Etheridge went electric for his solo spot which featured the jazz standard Goodbye Pork Pie Hat and a wonderful rendition of Stormy Weather. Using delay, he built up layer upon layer of guitar licks.

The solo spot by Williams featured no such hi-tech jinks. He kicked off with a work from Paraguay called The Last Song and followed it with two compositions from Venezuela. One of them, entitled Like A Weeping Star, with its harmonics, was sublime. Williams then played Hello Francis, which he composed as a tribute to Bebey.

The duo ended a fabulous concert with Peace, Love And Guitar, a technically demanding 14-minute piece composed for them by the American composer and guitarist Benjamin Verdery.

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