Magna Carta: The Complete Works for Guitar by John Brunning

John Brunning is a much-loved presenter on the radio station Classic FM. But he clearly has other strings to his bow, and this album gathers together all the music he has written for guitar, including his 2015 concerto Magna Carta. Turning away from the instrument’s Spanish associations, Brunning taps into an unashamedly English pastoral tradition. Melodies flow with ease, and a gentle lyricism underlies everything. The slow movement of the concerto is quite lovely, as are the 5 Romances with strings. Featuring the cellist Johannes Moser, “Lacrimosa for Guitar & Cello” is an intimate conversation between two instruments. Xuefei Yang plays everything with perfect technique and an evident sympathy for this attractive music.