Iberian Pathways: Guitar Music of Spain

Published 1 year ago -


By Alicia Spatafore, Staff Writer

On Wednesday, November 10, classical guitarist Dave McLellan presented students and faculty at Assumption with a live performance of Iberian Pathways: Guitar Music of Spain held via zoom.


Dr. Peter Clemente, curator of the event, proudly introduced Mclellan as the show began, going on to provide a detailed description of the performer and his musical background.

“Dave is a wonderful player, one of the most noted guitarists in the New England area,” Clemente stated.

McLellan has performed in several different locations all around the world, from England, to South America, to New York. Prior to pursuing music professionally, he spent time working in the software industry as an engineer.

One of Mcllean’s greatest passions within performing is his ability to make a positive impact on the lives of others. He is heavily involved in charity work and has supported many important causes over the years, such as a relief fund for the earthquake in Haiti.


“He wears many hats and has found a wonderful relationship with the guitar and the community,” said Clemente.

Following Clemente’s thorough introduction, McLellan gave a brief overview of the program before beginning his performance with his first song, “Canción del Emperador Guárdame”. This song is one of two pieces by Luis Narvaez that McLellan played. The second piece, Guardame Las Vacas, began immediately after the first.

Both pieces were very calm and relaxing, starting off the show on a lighter note as the performer intended.

After both songs by Luis Narvaez, McLellan transitioned to playing music by Isaac Albeniz, famous Spanish pianist and composer. As he does throughout the entire show, McLellan stops to briefly introduce the musician before playing various works by them. This introduction provides general background information about the artist, well also sharing things like the meaning behind the name of their songs. This portion of the show is very helpful for those who
are unfamiliar with this type of music, as it allows them to be equally as engaged and informed
as those who are.

While the music in the concert starts off fairly slow, the pace quickly progresses along with the change in songs and the style of their composers. McClellan proceeds to play songs from three more composers, all of which offer different musical styles. The songs with the highest energy and fastest strumming are centered at the middle of the performance, whereas the final songs are on the slower end like those in the beginning.

All in all, McClellan‘s performance provided viewers musical entertainment by means of enjoyable, relaxing songs, as well as plenty of new and interesting cultural knowledge that anyone could benefit from having.


For more information on Dave McLellan, visit:
https://bostonguitar.org/teachers-professionals/dave-mclellan

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