Gordon Ferries : Love’s Philosophy for Tenor and Guitar: Bergmann

Gordon Ferries (Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley)

Bergmann Edition: Score and separate parts (12, 4, and 4 pages respectively)

Scottish composer/performer Gordon Ferries has written many works over the years  and is well – known as a lute and baroque guitar player as well as writing songs for voice and guitar as indeed he has here, on a poem by Shelley.

It is set in A Major 3 / 4 and is a gentle Andante. The Tenor’s range for this piece is from a low D, (string 4), to a high E (string 1) and he is accompanied by a very tonal guitar part, usually in two or three voices throughout, and sometimes a bar or two in 4/4 and 2/4, but otherwise this melodic song is quite short and not too demanding for either performer, and would make a nice moment in a concert for two such performers.

Therefore I can say that this piece is certainly a successful version of the famous Shelley poem and therefore it can be well recommended.

Chris Dumigan