Review of Majesty/Evocation, Praise/Prayer/Promise, Prelude/Chanson/Caprice

‘These three editions of pieces by the Leicester based guitarist Yvonne Bloor come hot on the heals of her wonderful CD Promise that I reviewed recently, and just to qualm any fears, they are excellent publications with no hint of the ‘private’ publication about them.
Indeed, six of the eight pieces are included on her recent CD, excepting the very short Prelude and the tremolo piece Evocation. Now I am not usually over-enamoured with tremolo pieces but Evocation is a beautiful piece of writing with an engaging melody and a tremolo style that is not over-hard but nevertheless effective.
As for the other pieces, the Chanson is a winning little melody set in E minor that manages to move all over the fingerboard in quite a natural way. The Caprice is quicker and harder and relies to an extent on certain fretted notes ringing on across open strings, therefore creating some lovely clashes along the way. Majesty is another standout piece sounding quite different to the Caprice whilst using the same clashing of strings; it would sound great in a concert. The final three: Praise, Prayer and Promise are all set to a 6th string D. Praise is a happy and warm piece, whilst Prayer is a beautiful, delicate little piece that again deserves to played and heard. The final Promise is a good deal faster but with great melodies and harmonic ideas throughout. Indeed, this trio would make an ideal little set for any intermediate player to play.
All the above pieces are well worth playing and would be a fitting change from the usual fare one hears in concerts. They are mature, melodic, interestingly harmonised, lovely little pieces that come from the pen of a lady whose CD I have played a good number of times since reviewing it!’
Chris Dumigan, Classical Guitar Magazine. October 2014