Bringing flute and guitar together
TWO exciting young musicians made an eagerly anticipated return to St Mary in the Baum.
Meera Maharaj on flute and James Girling on guitar performed as the Meraki Duo.
Those of us lucky enough to be there were taken on a musical journey that started with Manuel de Falla and culminated with Chick Corea, taking in Miroslav Tadic, Villa-Lobos and Andy Scott on the way.
The flute/guitar combination is not a common pairing and has little music written specifically for it, so how do they find the music for the Meraki Duo?
Meera said: “Between us we discover new repertoire through hearing different works in concerts and we play whatever appeals to us really.
“Given that the flute/ guitar repertoire is not particularly extensive, we often arrange music originally written for other combinations, for example, James recently arranged some of Andy Scott’s music and we have arranged works spanning from bossa nova to jazz and world music.”
Meera and James not only have burgeoning individual careers, they also play in a host of other formations. I asked how they find time to rehearse together.
Meera said: “Rehearsal often happens in intensive sessions in the days leading up to concerts. However, having been playing together for almost five years now, we have built a duo relationship that allows us to learn and rehearse quickly.”
The Meraki Duo will perform,at the Wigmore Hall concert series in Wensleydale, Hove, Hertford, Burnley and at Manchester Cathedral.
James is headlining Blue Dot Festival with the Hallé Orchestra on July 19 and performing with Afrobeat-Ethijazz 11-piece band Agbeko at Malta International Arts Festival, Croatia’s Soundwave Festival and a number of major UK festivals.
He is also playing Band On The Wall and a sold out Manchester Jazz Festival show in July with his jazz quintet.
He is also playing a full week of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with swing-era septet Dani Sicari and The Easy Rollers (August 5 to 9), giving a one-off recital with Aquarelle Guitar Quartet at Church Stretton Festival on July 31 and performing at Clapham Omnibus Theatre with James Girling Quarteto de Bossa Nova on September 2.
Meera will be giving flute and piano recitals in St Alban’s on July 18, at Petworth Festival on July 25 and in Cumbria on September 1.
She is premiering a new work for flute and ensemble at Chetham’s International Piano Festival on August 20, playing family concerts in Didsbury on September 4 and giving further recitals with flute/harp duo as well as Brazilian quintet.
Visit www.jamesgirling music.com and meera maharaj.co.uk for more information.