Performers: Cai Charles & Oliver Manning (IGF Young Artists’ Platform)
Introduction
It was a great privilege to welcome Cai Charles and Oliver Manning, two very talented and up-and-coming players, to give a performance through the IGF Young Artists’ Platform on 13 March 2025. Cai and Oliver have been performing as a duo since 2020, having met during their undergraduate studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Oliver Manning was selected by John Williams to become a Julian Bream Trust Scholar in 2023 to support his postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music, London, and was winner of the John Mills Guitar Competition and also of the Orpheus Voice and Guitar Competition. Cai Charles was a winner of the Solo String Competition at the Wales National Eisteddfod. He also gave the UK premiere solo performance of the Dos Dalias concerto by Gerard Tamez during the World Harp Congress in St David’s Hall, Wales, in 2022. The duo has performed both in the UK and at the Maestros de la Guitarra concert series in Granada, Spain.
The IGF helps to launch the career of young guitarists as they embark on their concert careers, and by commissioning music written specifically for the players.
Programme (selections)
- Stephen Goss — Cocktail List (six of twelve miniatures): “Boulevardier”, “Negroni”, “Alabama Slammer”, “Vodka Martini”, “Vieux Carré”, “Manhattan”.
- Traditional Welsh (arr. Stephen Goss) — “David of the White Rock”, “Suo Gan”, “Hunting the Hare”.
- David John Roche — Quaver Dreams and Quaver Nightmares:
I. Limited Chordal Universe; II. NotBach; III. Aggressive Bicycle Music. (World premiere of a BCGS-commissioned work in three movements.) - Carlo Domeniconi — Fire Brigade on Ice from Circus Music.
Performance
Cai and Oliver exuded confidence as they started their performance with 6 out of the 12 miniature pieces of the Cocktail List by popular British Composer Stephen Goss. ( “Boulevardier”, “Negroni”, “Alabama Slammer”, “Vodka martini”, “Vieu Carré” and “Manhattan”). The selection gave the duo the opportunity to show their virtuosity, rapidly switching styles between Jazz, nostalgic, discordant, hints of James Bond, Blues and music reflecting a mood of New York. They definitely have good stage chemistry, know each others play so well and their technique and timing were immaculate.
The mood changed as the duo played a selection of well known Welsh folk songs arranged by Stephen Goss, including the much loved “David of the white Rock”, “Suo Gan” and “Hunting the Hare”. The performers played with great sensitivity to achieve a much more soulful, lilting and melancholic sound.
The Duo then performed a world premiere of their commissioned piece in 3 Movements by young composer David John Roche Quaver dreams and quaver nightmares I. Limited Chordal Universe II. NotBach and III. Aggressive Bicycle Music.The final piece brought out their strong sense of fun when they donned red noses to play Carlo Domeniconi’s Fire Brigade on Ice from Circus Music.
Closing Thoughts
The Wales Duo gave a memorable and technically brilliant performance and the pair clearly has a bright future ahead. You can follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/walesguitarduo/