by Daniel Hathaway
When I asked Armin Kelly, the founder and artistic director of the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, who he would recommend that I speak to for a preview article this time around, he didn’t miss a beat.
“I think you will find Irish concert classical guitarist, composer, poet, and songwriter Alan Mearns a particularly interesting, well-spoken artist to interview. This will be Alan’s first time to perform in Cleveland, and he will be taking part in a pre-concert discussion with Jonathan Leathwood in a lecture entitled Beyond Transcription, A Conversation with Alan Mearns, on Thursday, June 5, from 6:00 to 7:15 pm, and playing a solo recital on Sunday at 3 pm.
“Alan’s transcriptions of Bach and other composers have electrified audiences and critics far beyond the confines of the classical guitar world. His approach is a fundamentally imaginative one — perhaps not surprising from such a multi-faceted artist. His transcriptions seek to recreate the excitement of the original music in terms of the guitar.”
I was able to speak briefly with Alan Mearns when he stopped for petrol enroute to Cleveland from his home in North Carolina, where he settled after emigrating from his birthplace in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and from which he pursues his artistic activities independent of any institutions. “At least I haven’t been institutionalized yet,” he quipped.
Randomly given a violin in that primary school ritual to determine children’s musical aptitude, Mearns later switched to the guitar, inspired by radio broadcasts of Julian Bream and John Williams, and after hearing the next door neighbor playing the theme from “The Deer Hunter.”
The guitarist’s conversation on Thursday with Jonathan Leathwood will focus on the techniques of transcribing and arranging — terms often used interchangeably but with subtle differences. “Arranging is more like recomposing a piece,” Mearns said, “recreating the effect rather than getting stuck on the actual notes. It’s like hearing a piece from the next room, or as my wife puts it, circling an idea like a shark.”
Many times less is more. “A five-note chord on the piano may sound better with three notes on the guitar. It’s important to lean into the strengths of the instrument you’re writing for.”
Except for three of his own original works, Mearns’ program on Saturday will all be arrangements or transcriptions: Leopold Weiss’s Prelude & Passacaglia WL 33 arr. Stanley Yates & Alan Mearns, Frederic Chopin’ Preludes Op. 28 No. 6 & No. 15, arr. Mearns, Isaac Albeniz’s La Vega, arr. Yates, Alan Mearns’ Cantos & Perpetuo (Oración), Manuel de Falla’s Serenata & Serenata Andaluza, arr. Mearns, and J.S. Bach’s Chaconne, BWV 1004, arr Mearns.
He’ll be playing a guitar by Zebulon Turrentine.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com June 5, 2025.
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