Francisco Correa and Emily Andrews
Unitarian Hall, Bristol
Thursday 12th February 2026
On Thursday, 12th February, we were treated to an album preview of From Honey to Ashes (Deux-Elles Records) by our very own artistic director, Francisco Correa, alongside his multi-talented wife, flautist, and mezzo-soprano Emily Andrews, who is also an active friend of the BCGS.
Colombian-born Francisco has performed in over 20 countries. An Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, he is heavily involved in organizing the International Guitar Festival Summer School and, alongside Emily, directs the highly successful Ham Festival in Bristol. He has been lauded by Gramophone as an “eloquent player” and by BBC Radio 3 as “a truly remarkable performer.” A keen advocate for new compositions, Francisco loves introducing audiences to lesser-known Latin American repertoire.
Emily Andrews initially studied Mathematics at Cambridge and worked as a computer programmer, but her true passion lay in music. She graduated with Distinction from her Master’s degree in flute performance at the Royal Academy of Music in 2010. A multi-instrumentalist, passionate chamber musician, and mezzo-soprano, she has won awards for her flute performance alongside classical guitarist David Massey. The Andrews Massey Duo also joins Francisco in CarmenCo—a highly entertaining pocket opera written by Emily and infused with her trademark sense of fun and humor. Together with the support of the BCGS, she and Francisco are dedicated to introducing schoolchildren in the Bristol area to the magic of classical guitar music.
Their eclectic concert repertoire featured vivid South American rhythms, nostalgic Welsh folk melodies, and cinematic contemporary textures—many arranged by Stephen Goss, who has collaborated extensively with the duo.
They opened with Santiago Bernal’s Dilo Otra Vez, captivating the room with its syncopated, rhythmic charm and a cheeky back-and-forth dialogue between flute and guitar, further enriched by Emily’s expressive performance style.
Next came a selection of Stephen Goss’s original compositions:
- Hot brought energetic, jazz-infused vibes.
- Milonga conjured a pulsing, melancholic Argentinian atmosphere.
- Alba offered a serene interlude anchored by minimalist guitar phrasing.
- Hotel painted a cinematic scene of transient solitude.
- Ajman transported us to a Middle Eastern landscape filled with virtuosic ornamentation.
The mood then shifted toward riverfront nostalgia with Pescador, Lucero y Río, a waltz-influenced Pasillo arranged for voice and guitar by José A. Morales. The piece tells the fable of a humble fisherman who catches the morning star in his net to brighten his home, only to have it stolen back by a jealous flood that leaves him lifeless.
A suite of Stephen Goss’s Welsh song arrangements followed:
- Ar Lan y Môr featured an hypnotic, lyrical theme capturing the ebb and flow of the ocean.
- The White Rose of Summer brought elegant, refined tones.
- David of the White Rock delivered a somber, reflective moment.
- Hunting the Hare brought the set to a close with a brisk, lively traditional dance.
We were briefly transported back to Colombia with Estaba Escrito, also by José A. Morales—a dramatic declaration of destiny filled with flexible rubato on the guitar and driven by Emily’s passionate vocal delivery.
My personal favorite—and the absolute standout of the evening—was Stephen Goss’s La Catedral Sumergida (The Submerged Cathedral). In this piece, the composer seamlessly wove an original flute line through two existing B-minor guitar classics: Fernando Sor’s Op. 35, No. 22 and the final movement of Agustín Barrios Mangoré’s La Catedral. Shimmering flute harmonies and deep guitar resonances skillfully mimicked the sound of ringing church bells. It was the perfect piece to conclude a wonderful concert. We are exceptionally fortunate to watch and work with both Francisco and Emily on such a regular basis.