Craig Ogden

March Newsletter

One of greg Caffrey’s pieces for solo guitar “Takemitsu’s Dream” has just been awarded First Prize at the Concurso Counterpoint – Italy Composition Competition. Amazingly, the work “The Uses of Not”, for alto flute and guitar, also received special honours in the same competition. A double whammy! I recorded “Takemitsu’s Dream” on a CD of Greg’s solo guitar music. The disc is titled “First Construction in Nylon” and is available at: www.cactusrecords.bandcamp.com

If you’d like to have me come and do a private recital for you, family and friends, you can bid for me in an Auction of Promises which is taking place on May 5 in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton in North West Oxfordshire. There are some amazing lots in the auction which is being run by George Bailey of Sotheby’s. To read all about it go to the Chadlington Auction website. Highlights of other lots include…

• A seven bedroom holiday house 10 miles from Rio de Janeiro, one minute from the beach
• Tour of the House of Commons and House of Lords with afternoon tea
• Concert tickets to our own Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival
• tickets to a John Williams concert that I am also taking part in at the City of London Festival on July 10.
• Selection of Alex James’ cheeses plus a signed copy of his recent book.
• Tickets to the rugby final at Twickenham on May 26, 2012
• Beautiful holiday cottage in Upper Slaughter for a long weekend

On Sunday February 12 I will be giving the European premiere of Nigel Westlake’s Guitar concerto with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Barry Wordsworth. It’s a short (13 mins) but amazing piece packed full of incredible colours with excellent writing for the guitar. See my gig list for details. There’s a competition running on the Classic FM website for two pairs of tickets too. Click here. I’m also playing Rodrigo’s legendary Concierto de Aranjuez in the same programme.

The Australia trip was amazing. The videos which are currently available on the Classic FM website show what a fantastic trip it was and having the opportunity to experience new things like climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and going hot air ballooning was sensational. It was an epic ten days and capped off by doing some of my favourite things (swimming, snorkelling, cycling and body-surfing) in my hometown of Perth at the end of the trip. Here are the links to the videos. I hope you enjoy them.

http://promo.classicfm.co.uk/contests/2011/australia/craigs-journey/sydney/

http://promo.classicfm.co.uk/contests/2011/australia/craigs-journey/melbourne/

http://promo.classicfm.co.uk/contests/2011/australia/craigs-journey/perth/

http://promo.classicfm.co.uk/contests/2011/australia/craigs-journey/

And you can download the music (if you feel compelled!), here, by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking on the button

http://promo.classicfm.co.uk/contests/2011/australia/craigs-journey/music/

I’ve been asked to visit Australia in December to help publicise Australia as a tourist destination. I’ll be making a series of audio and video presentations which will run on-air on Classic FM and on their website. It should be great fun!

I’ve been asked by John Williams to join him at the City of London Festival on July 10 next year to play an ensemble piece by Australian composer Philip Houghton which features two guitars, didgeridoo, percussion and possibly some other instruments – I haven’t seen a score yet!

I have ambitions to keep the news page on my website up to date even if the news itself isn’t necessarily riveting. I write this from Biggar in the Scottish Borders having spent the day in Glasgow giving a recital with Judy Hall (flute) at Glasgow University followed by a masterclass at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (which changed its name recently from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) for Allan Neave. Allan is running an excellent department and has two young British stars of the guitar – Ian Watt and Sean Shribe under his expert tutelage.

Tomorrow Judy and I give a recital for the Biggar Music Club as part of the Biggar Little Festival and then I scoot down the motorway for an 11am solo recital in Burnley and another concert in Shropshire in the evening, again with Judy. I’m hugely looking forward to my Oct 26 recital shared with Tom Doughty at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. Exciting to be playing a solo recital in one of the UK’s best concert halls and delighted that 400 tickets have already sold.

If anyone has any questions that you’d like a public answer to in this section of my website, just send me an e-mail and I’ll publish the question and my response.

I’ve been invited by a past RNCM graduate, student and friend, the South African guitarist Jonathan Goldberg, to take part in the Art of Living World Culture Festival. Do check out their website and some of the amazing events they have organised in the past. The Art of Living Foundation promotes peace and understanding and I’m hugely enthusiastic about giving my time in support of their message. I’ll be playing on stage with something like 2000 other guitarists in the Grand Guitar Ensemble for Peace at the Berlin Olympiastadion. Check this previous effort with ‘only’ 1200 sitar players - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2u4WDkpbVA.

My Classic FM album has done two weeks at no.1 now. The official chart comes out on a Sunday although Classic FM’s own chart programmes runs six days later. It’s also dropped in price on Amazon now to £8.93 making it the cheapest place to buy hardcopy. If you’ve enjoyed it & fancy leaving a review on Amazon or requesting something from it on Jamie Crick’s Classic FM programme I’d be grateful! Many thanks. Craig