Sunday Night is Guitar Night

"Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, save perhaps two "- so said composer Frederic Chopin . Beethoven was equally impressed by the instrument - "The guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself" ,he once said.

The instrument's true origin is a mystery. The word guitar comes from the Ancient Greek kithara. We know that guitars existed in Spain from the 13th century. 700 years later the first electric guitar made it's debut.
On tonight's Sunday Night is Music Night as part of Radio 2's guitar season we can boast 3 guitars in the hands of 3 exponents of the instrument in 3 different genres of music. Our guests include jazz guitarist Martin Taylor, folk guitarist Martin Simpson and classical guitarist Miloš Karadaglic.

The BBC Concert Orchestra under the baton of Richard Balcombe recall some icon guitar themes including Monty Norman's 007 theme, Apache by Jerry Lordan, Classical Gas by Mason Williams and the theme to the BBC drama Edge of Darkness written by Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen.

Folk meets jazz in a guitar collaboration between Martin Taylor and Martin Simpson and we end the evening with a performance by Milos of the only classical guitar concerto to make the UK top ten - Rodrigo's Adagio from his Concierto d'Aranjuez.

Ken Bruce has his air guitar tuned and ready - so join us for an evening of strum and twang!

Programme first broadcast in May 2014 Show less