Alison Bendy and Gerald Garcia play an entertaining programme  which is punctuated with good humoured introductions to the works which range from elegant Irish harp music to passionate Spanish and Latin American rhythms.

They are seasoned performers and as a duo have played in many varied venues including the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal College of Music (in the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh).

Their work for Music Societies has taken them from Thurso and Skye to Penzance.  They have performed with the North Ken Chorale and for the Skye Music Guild  to enthusiastic audiences and have also appeared on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night with Angela Rippon. They have played all over the world on cruise ships where they are a favourite with audiences.

Gerald Garcia – when not performing as a guitarist in Borneo or the Arctic Circle, Gerald composes music for film and live productions.  He has recorded more than 14 CDs which have sold 30,000 copies world-wide.  He has toured China in a duo with guitarist John Williams and is a regular member of Simon Mayor’s Mandolinquents.

Alison Bendy – was already well known on radio and television by the time she appeared as a finalist in ITV’s New Faces.  She has since performed with chamber groups and choirs and recorded music for BBC’s Everyman series, and her successful album Danza Mora.  She in involved in publishing educational music for guitars.  

Some audio files

Some programmes

Guitar Classics from Venice to Vienna and beyond
Alison Bendy and Gerald Garcia survey the world of guitar classics from Renaissance Germany to the world of Haydn and Diabelli.

M Praetorius – 3 Dances

A Vivaldi – Andante from concerto for two mandolins

J Haydn arr Carulli – London Symphony – first movement

A Diabelli – Serenade – 

                Moderato, Minuet and Trio, Andante, Allegro

Latin American Festival
Alison Bendy and Gerald Garcia are your guides in a whirlwind tour of the colourful music of Latin America from Tango to Bossa Nova.

A Piazzolla – Lo Que Vendra

J Cardoso- Milonga

A Lauro – 2 Venezuelan Waltzes

E.Morricone arr Garcia – Gabriel’s Oboe(from The Mission)

A Barrios – Choro da Saudade (solo)

R.Baden Powell – Deve ser Amor

C Machado – Bolinhas de Queijo 

                      Xaranga do Vovo

Spanish Romance for Two Guitars
Two guitars evoke the spirit of Spain and the influence of Folk music on Spanish composers Joaquin Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla. The programme includes the famous 2nd movement of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez 

E Granados – Rondalla Aragonesa

                       Oriental

E.Sainz de la Maza – Campanas de Alba (solo)

J. Turina – Fandanguillo (solo)

J Rodrigo – Concierto de Aranjuez 2nd movement

M de Falla – Spanish Dance from la Vida Breve

Trad. Alegrias

Two Guitars Around the World
A mini trip around the world with Alison Bendy and Gerald Garcia, exploring the music of Renaissance England, Bohemia, Russia, China, Scotland and Ireland in stunning arrangements for two guitars.

Three renaissance lute duets

La Rossignol

Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home

Drewerie’s Accordes

J K Mertz – Vespergang and Mazurka

T Carolan – Fanny Poer and Planxty Madame Maxwell

P Maxwell Davies – Farewell to Stromness

2 Chinese Songs (arr Garcia) 

Trad Russian (arr Bobri) Two Guitars