Dear readers,

Here we are, at the halfway point of perhaps the most bizarre year of my life thus far. I do not intend to dwell on that much here, for there are plenty of others who will do so, and for those who wish to discuss the most pressing issues of our time there are a multitude of resources and forums to do so, and I shall keep this particular troubadour’s forum clear of this, for now.

Writing has continued apace, and with signs that both recording audio and video will be possible in the near future, you can expect me to be very active on both fronts, my friends. The record I have been working on is unlikely to materialise in physical form this year, but I shall endeavour to release something, as I have every year since 2008. It would be a shame to allow my prolific output to drop just now, given the irony is that the pandemic has given me much more time to write. So, watch this space, and if you wish to facilitate this or support me in any way, please take the time to visit my shop here and start adding or completing your collection or even give to others the gift of music.

I took the unusual step for me, at least, of debuting a classical guitar piece, my first in 15 years, called ‘Moonrise Over Mostar, on social media – it can be viewed on Facebook here and on Instagram here. A little momentum and belief can be very powerful indeed, and the reaction to the piece has led to my possibly making my debut performance in this beautiful city later in the year. Having longed to return to the city since my only visit there two years ago, please do keep your fingers crossed for me.

Other works on the classical guitar are being prepared and I am enjoying the challenge the instrument is posing me. The guitar as an instrument offers such a cornucopia of possibilities, that even after three decades of picking one, it never stops amazing me.

Here’s hoping the second half of the year brings more cheer than the first half, and that the slow and cautious return to normality can continue.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I’ll be allowed to grace a venue near you soon.

SK x