...And Yet So Far .... A short, reflective piece.
A Shaft of Light .... Partly a tremolo study, using E A D F# B E tuning.
Acceptance .... Slightly jazz inspired, goes through various reflective moods before a subtly subsiding finish.
Catch The Spider .... A fun piece in 5/4 time which includes multiple pull-offs.
Dancing on the World’s Edge .... A dramatic piece with moving shapes and the odd (Giltrap-like?) strummed section.
Christmas Caprice .... A short, fast-flowing, light-hearted piece written and performed in December 2008.
Cool Mystery .... Written and first performed in late 2009, this is the piece that inspired me to return to the Lowden steel-string for the first time since 2007, as it works well on both types of guitar. It's the first classical guitar solo I've written that uses a capo: on the 7th fret in movements 1 and 3 and on the 4th in the middle movement. It's been extremely well received at all the early performances, and been described as a beautiful, meditative, flowing, Renbournesque, pretty etc. The melody is picked out from amongst a gentle, rapid cascade of arpeggios, making good use of the open tuning. Tuning: 6=D, 3=F#. Sheet music (available on request) includes TAB.
Daredevil .... A ludicrously difficult, dramatic, prog rock-inspired piece, with the main theme in 7/8 time. I'll do justice to it one day! Tuning: 6=D, 2=Bb.
Dawning .... A short, reflective companion piece to '...And Yet So Far'.
Edradour .... My first ever composition for classical guitar, from 2000 - slightly Scottish feel.
Empty Rooms .... Another reflective, emotive one, revisited in April 2010 after being written in 2006.
First Day of Summer .... A piece structured like a song, with an opening section in Dorian mode, written and first performed in April 2010. Dedicated to my mother, Heather Garner.
Gate To The Isles .... A folky piece with classical influences.
Heart-searcher .... Slightly quirky jazz-rock outer sections with a contrasting cantabile central theme. First performed in the summer of 2010 at the Dorset Guitar Society and North Dorset Guitar Forum.
If Only... .... Inspired by some very personal memories of Glencoe, Scotland, September 2010. Performed in part by Xuefei Yang! (I should explain - it was during a masterclass she gave to the Dorset Guitar Society in February 2011 and this was the piece I chose to play... she enjoyed my X 0 11 12 12 12 chord! Sitting next to her while she sight-read passages from it beautifully has to be a highlight of my guitar playing life so far!). The third performance of this piece in March 2011 included a second movement under the same title, serving as a kind of post-script to the subject matter of the first movement. The original first part has the 6th string tuned to F and features a series of harmonics in the opening theme; the second is in normal tuning and could be considered a fairly technically demanding arpeggio study in semi-quavers in 9/8 time. The one-movement work was also beautifully performed by John Edwards for the Dorset Guitar Society and at my North Dorset Guitar Forum in April 2011.
Musical Box .... An easy piece - for a change! Stays in first position.
My Love Is Like A Red, Red, Rose .... An arrangement of the traditional song.
On A Roll .... Composed in September 2009 and first performed on October 16th, this is a lively piece somewhere between classical, rock and jazz, with its main, fast-flowing section sandwiched between a slower-paced brief introduction and coda.
Restless .... As the title suggests, a busy piece with plenty of movement. My most requested piece at live performances in 2009!
Seven Friendly Sketches .... A suite of very short pieces, entertaining, melodic and in a variety of styles. Any guitarist interested in playing them wouldn't necessarily need a lot of experience, as they stay in first or second position throughout - guitar-friendly! Originally performed in 2008 as 'Eight Friendly Sketches', the original eighth sketch eventually became a separate entity as the subject of a set of variations (see While The Sun Shines).
Self Portrait (formerly titled 'If We Can Laugh...'). .... First performed in May 2009 (under yet another title!) this is a longer piece and one of my most intricate and substantial classical guitar pieces, featuring a range of moods, dynamics and techniques, including tremolo, rasgueado and pizzicato. Several sections are based on the first four notes of the Lydian mode, in various time signatures, including 5/4. The fast 'laughing' rising phrases in the second half of the piece seem to caricature the earlier tranquil and then dramatic use of the theme. It's ultimately about the search for, and importance of, release through humour and mickey-taking, lest we take life too seriously.
Seventeen Years .... An early piece, a version of which was actually released on my Flowdown CD.
She's The Key .... A piece composed when I was listening to a lot of Nick Harper but also learning Villa-Lobos.
Snakes and Ladders .... Lively piece, full of ups and downs (as the title suggests!), with influences from Villa-Lobos to XTC!
Towards Calm Waters .... A short piece written entirely in harmonics in 2008 and first performed on 15th April 2010 in Blandford.
Tremolo .... Not a typical tremolo study, but a piece with occasional short bursts of tremolo at various speeds. The second solo I ever wrote.
Wave Riding .... A relentless, Bach-influenced theme in 9/8 time with variations.
Westminster Bridge .... Composed to the meter of the sonnet by Wordsworth, for my father, and performed at his Thanksgiving Service on 25th February 2010 at High Cross Church, Camberley.
Wetherbury .... A bluesy/classical piece written for a pupil and inspired by sliding Am7 and A7 shapes around.
While The Sun Shines .... A 10-minute set of variations based on a short piece of the same name composed and performed in 2008. Despite being a classical guitar piece, the influence of my progressive rock past can clearly be heard, though I also acknowledge and cherish the inspiration of 20th century English composer Sir Lennox Berkeley. This piece has also been performed by Pete Kirkbride.
Vincible .... A laid-back blues with a capo at the fifth fret, composed for a student (Vince) and immediately performed at the North Dorset Guitar Forum in August 2010.
Zest For Life .... Composed in memory of my father, Clifford Garner (1922-2010). He had a zest for music and life in general, so this piece is very lively!

Guitar Duos performed

Chasing Elysium ....
A four-movement suite: 1. Enigma; 2. Icebound; 3. Innocence; 4. Elysium. Based on four seasons (personal events from October 2005 to the summer of 2006, if you really want to know!), this includes a piece I originally wrote for the piano in February 2006 (Icebound). The first entire performance of this guitar duo was on 21st August 2008 at the Blandford Forum guitar evening.

Dark Wisdom ....
A slower piece arranged from one of a series of solos I wrote in D A D F# A D tuning. I soon realised how rarely I would be bothered to retune to that extent! And the duo in 6=D tuning works better, anyway.

Orange Moon ....
A slightly longer piece than many, with some dramatic and inventive moments and jazz/classical/folk influences in its contrasting sections.

Five Short Pieces for Piano by Lennox Berkeley ....
This set of guitar duo arrangements has been performed privately but is unavailable. I have not looked into the copyright issues that would be involved if it was to be duplicated or performed publicly. If nothing else, it was a fascinating project to attempt, Lennox Berkeley being a favourite composer of mine, not least for the guitar.

Other Ensemble Pieces performed

Float Up Together for Guitar Orchestra ....
This short piece included five guitar parts (around 20 guitars) and a classical bass guitar part. The Dorset Guitar Orchestra was directed by Stephen Kenyon in the first performance of the work on 22nd May 2011 at the Dorset Guitar Society's annual concert in Kinson, Bournemouth.

Golden Trio for Guitar, Viola and Cello ....
Written for, and played with, my parents, to celebrate their Golden Wedding in 2007.

Trio no. 2 in A minor for Guitar, Viola and Cello ....
First performed with my parents on 21st August 2008.

Circular Reflections (Guitar and Cello) ....
A theme that goes through a circular series of minor third key changes - not that that helps you much. I like it, anyway!

Free Song (Guitar and Cello) ....
Prog rock and folk influences in this very lively piece with the guitar mainly strummed and with a capo at the third fret.

Eights and Sixes ....
This short, fun trio for guitar, viola and cello was written for my father and includes lots of musical references to the numbers 8 and 6!

Air for CG (Guitar and Cello) ....
My first venture into writing for guitar and another instrument, for my father's 80th birthday. D A D F# A D tuning - a tuning which inevitably ensures that it doesn't get played much (see Dark Wisdom)!

1st Duo for Guitar and Recorder ....
For some reason the feel of the guitar reminds me of a 6/4 version of Golden Brown by the Stranglers in this pleasant folky piece.

Dorset Street (Guitar and Recorder) ....
I'd like to write more pieces for this very effective combination. This is my attempt at a traditional English reel (or jig?) after playing in a folk band for a while in 2005. A guitar and violin version has also been performed.