Stay By My Side Gerard Cousins

• Gerard Cousins (b. 1974): Stay By My Side:
• 1 Cousins: Stay By My Side 02:16
• One Step Away:
• 2 Cousins: One Step Away 02:40
• Prayer for Peace:
• 3 Cousins: Prayer for Peace 01:13
• Gyan's Song:
• 4 Cousins: Gyan's Song 01:30
• Ólafur Arnalds (b. 1986): Tomorrow's Song (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins):
• 5 Arnalds: Tomorrow's Song (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins) 03:36
• Saman (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins):
• 6 Arnalds: Saman (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins) 03:19
• Gerard Cousins: Haiku 1:
• 7 Cousins: Haiku 1 00:44
• David John Roche (b. 1990): For Alex:
• 8 Roche: For Alex 01:56
• Ange Turell (b. 1964): Once this Was Now:
• 9 Turell: Once this Was Now 02:00
• Gerard Cousins: Haiku 4:
• 10 Cousins: Haiku 4 01:03
• mRNAissance (after Marco dall'Aquila):
• 11 Cousins: mRNAissance (after Marco dall'Aquila) 05:54
• Stefan Levin (b. 1954): Six Studies:
• 12 Levin: Six Studies: IV. Night in the Village 01:36
• Gerard Cousins: Haiku 2:
• 13 Cousins: Haiku 2 01:02
• Arvo Pärt (1935 - 1971): Für Alina (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins):
• 14 Pärt: Für Alina (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins) 02:45
• Gerard Cousins: Haiku 3:
• 15 Cousins: Haiku 3 00:44
• Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins):
• 16 Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins) 09:09
• Nils Frahm (b. 1982): In the Sky and on the Ground (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins):
• 17 Frahm: In the Sky and on the Ground (Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins) 01:53
• Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel (Reflection Version - Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins):
• 18 Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel (Reflection Version - Arr. for Guitar by Gerard Cousins) 03:53
• Total Runtime 47:13

Info for Stay By My Side

The underlying themes of this album include peace, stillness and calm. My focus, as always, with my music is to aim to produce something that is beautiful. The pieces are a mix of originals by guitarist-composers and my own improvisations and compositions. There are also some new transcriptions of piano pieces which I have been working on for the past few years.

Other works on the album came to me through serendipitous meetings or the tangled fortunes of internet explorations. The inspiration starts close to my home with the Welsh composer David John Roche, then perhaps unexpectedly, we head not south (toward Spain) but northwards towards places that one does not naturally associate with the guitar. These contemporary composers of Sweden, Iceland and Estonia have provided a rich source of contemplative art.

The transcriptions present musical problems that are often solved by changing the tunings of the guitar strings. And with each new tuning I find novel combinations that inspire me to create new pieces. Many of these are improvised on the spot, or grow spontaneously and are later edited or expanded upon to create more structured pieces.

Gerard Cousins, classical guitar

Gerard Cousins
is a true innovator in the world of classical guitar, pushing the boundaries of his instrument to create mesmerising music that appeals to a wide audience. From his unique interpretations of Philip Glass's piano music to his transcriptions of choral composer Eric Whitacre, Gerard's recordings have garnered millions of streams and landed on the front page of Apple Music.

But Gerard's music is not just confined to the studio. His live performances are a true experience, featuring a repertoire that combines imaginative guitar arrangements with his own compositions. Gerard's improvisational skills and interaction with the audience make every concert a one-of-a-kind event.

Gerard's passion for music began early in life, absorbing the recordings of his guitar heroes John Williams and Julian Bream, as well as exploring the worlds of jazz, rock, electronic, Indian classical, flamenco and minimalist music. It was a concert by the legendary Joe Pass that convinced him of the power of a single guitar to captivate an audience.

Gerard's journey to create the music he wanted to hear was not easy, but his perseverance paid off. His albums show an artist who started with traditional Spanish repertoire and evolved to incorporate his diverse influences. With his 2014 album, "The First Beat is the Last Sound," Gerard found his unique voice, blending his past influences with his own original compositions.

Gerard’s recordings are broadcast all over the world and he has had special radio programmes dedicated to his guitar playing and compositions on BBC Radio Wales and France Musique. In 2015 he appeared on UK television as a finalist on Sky Arts ‘Guitar Star’.

A graduate of the University of Leeds and Enschede Conservatorium (Netherlands), he has performed in many festivals and concert halls around the world, from the Purcell Room on London’s South Bank to concert halls all over Europe, South America and the Middle East. He has released eight albums, each one focusing on a different area of music from traditional Spanish repertoire to his original compositions and his unique re-imaginings of traditional Welsh music.

Booklet for Stay By My Side