School of Classical Guitar

Over a period of several years, John assisted John Williams teaching master classes at The Stables, Wavendon – the brainchild of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine.

John currently lectures ensemble groups and student teachers and adjudicates as well as running his own School of Classical Guitar in rural Buckinghamshire. Assisted by Janet, the School offers tuition for absolute beginners to post-graduate students.

John is the author of a tutorial method (unpublished) which forms the basis of his unique ‘Creative Relaxational Therapy’ approach to tuition. He has acquired a remarkable reputation as a teacher, attracting students for individual consultation lessons from a very wide area.

Composer and arranger

John has a number of compositions and arrangements published by Trinity College of Music, London, Chappells and EMI. 

Aside from music, John’s recreational activities include:

trying not to burn fingers when setting fire to O-Gauge live steam locomotives - as a member of the Bassett-Lowke Society; 
off-road trailing in a 1950 Landrover - as a member of the Series One Club; 
and more rapid exploits - as a member of the Aston-Martin Owners Club.

A number of injuries (related to such activities) had recently forced John to put his concert career on hold during which time he concentrated on his other musical passion – composing and arranging.

Now fully recovered and back performing, this period has produced an important legacy – ‘Five Partitas For Guitar’ and ‘Seven Fantasias on Traditional Themes’ – no less that 115 minutes of new compositions and settings of well known themes - which may be considered a considerable extension to the classical guitar repertoire.

John’s favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach and the inspiration for his ‘Partitas’ was: “I believe Bach expresses in musical terms every conceivable human emotion in the work which has been described as the "greatest solo in the history of music"- the mighty Chaconne in D Minor.” John goes on to comment “Having spent a vast proportion of practice time studying this work, I, like many other composers, could not have experienced a better compositional tutor than Bach”. Bach’s Chaconne forms an important part of John’s repertoire. 

“The inspiration for my Five Partitas was also to attempt to express every emotion I am aware of - in a contemporary musical form.” 

Recording Artist

On the strength of the quality and expressive range of John’s compositions, as well as his outstanding abilities as a performer, the highly respected teacher and ensemble player Rod Faulkner has contracted to both manage John’s performing career and produce recordings of his music.

Many of John’s compositions, arrangements and settings of traditional themes are currently being edited for publication by Log-a-Rhythm Publishing. 

John’s venture into composing and recording began many years ago with a composition for classical and electric guitars, strings and percussion – resulting in a recording contract with Polydor and a publishing contract with ATV. 

Since then John has produced solo albums on CD of Lute and Classical Guitar Music.