Christopher Parkening tells the story of how he became a classical guitarist and also gives his Christian testimony. Following this is a performance of Koyunbaba at the Harvest Crusade in Anaheim, California.
The Lord imbued him with razor sharp focus for the purpose of His glorification. Playing for a packed stadium with lights and cameras on and delivering a flawless and beautiful performance is the epitome of musical achievement. Christopher was born for this.
Christopher just goes up there and plays that perfectly...because that's what CP does! Always amazes me. He is one of the reasons I play Classical guitar.
What a gifted guitarist! How beautiful to hear the instrument played in the way Christopher plays. What I thought was even more beautiful was his testimony to the grace of God in Christ Jesus and how he found purpose and the fullness in HIm. To God be the glory?
I got to meet Christopher many years ago in Little Rock , Arkansas where he was in concert. He was a very nice , humble man and really gave us a great performance. When I told him I was in Chet Atkins' fan club he said Chet was a dear friend.
What an inspiring message... It's great to see that Christopher found true joy in dedicating his life to Christ's cause (and that he understands it his mind as well as his heart). He is one of the greatest guitar players to ever live, and the fact he strives to glorify God with his music makes it that much more powerful and moving.
I've seen him perform this piece in concert, but watching him give this speech and then walk over, grab his guitar and give an absolutely flawless performance of an incredible complex piece is testament to his greatness. He is truly the best there is....love him so much and a really great man overall. God bless YOU, Christopher Parkening!
He didn't compose this piece, so I wouldn't call him the best until hearing his original stuff. Although the best guitarist is entirely subjective, Mike Dawes is way more innovative/emotional in his acoustic playing and that just one example of many.
It's interesting you can pick up at the start Mr. Parkening's humming which to me is more a groan being totally connected to the music. Years ago I was attending a concert where Mr. Parkening was playing and after the performance this lady came up to Mr. Parkening and said you were great but someone was humming. LOL!
A great introduction to his music is on the album/CD titled "Christopher Parkening in the Spanish Style" It was recorded decades ago but is some of the finest classical guitar playing you'll ever hear! For the complete version of Koyunbaba played by the equally gifted classical guitarist John Williams, pick up or download his CD titled "The Guitarist" This song was actually written for and first recorded by Williams and is breathtaking to say the least. It's a four part suite so just sit back and enjoy the ride!
Hi Chris, thanks for the insight- very interesting. I'm self taught so I'm all too aware that I am missing out on a lot of subtleties re hand positions - fingering and all the rest. But like I said , there's no arguing on the end result , beautiful !
I recall watching a student recital at the SF Conservatory - in the 90s when the Conservatory was in The Avenues. I watched a brilliant student perform several complicated pieces with the student orchestra. And during intermission the student's Korean family was giving away free food. Everyone spoke to one another and agreed the performance was inspiring and awesome good. Except for one old guy (70+) who was helping himself to several helpings of food - he complained about a non-existent problem with the tone of her violin. And he pontificated as if he was an expert on Classical music. After about 10 minutes of listening to him insult the performer I scolded him and - fortunately - he finished his food and left. And that's what I see here. Some people complaining that Parkening provided a Christian testimony to 35 thousand Christians. (Christians are paying for the gig.) While some are complaining about the position of his right hand. Or someone talks about how great John Williams is - but Williams has only performed live 3 times in the last 20 years. Yeah. All the complains come from whiners who haven't posted a single video of themselves playing. Then you hear it the other way. That Parkening is the greatest ever. Yes. He is. But there are a hundred really great players and all of them are inspirational. What makes Parkening different is that he is American. (If you are from another country you might not have even heard of Parkening) It doesn't matter if Parkening is the best - even if he is. What matters is the inspiration. And aside from that Parkening has retired to focus on teaching - paving the way for others.
Believe and Receive God's gift of eternal life by grace through faith in Christ alone (without trusting your own works) and be justified, reconciled to God and sealed until the day of redemption. Gospel by which we are saved: (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; {2} By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. {3} For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; {4} And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"
It's interesting to see a guitar player of that magnitude being nervous to perform in front of people. Yeah, sure, it's an entire stadium full of people, but, still, he is a great guitar player performing a song that he surely knows he can play perfectly and yet he is nervous. Well, I feel relieved that I'm not the only one, hahahaha. It's good to see someone as good as him being nervous to perform just like myself.
Want to know the power of greatness? When Chris played at Grace Church in the 80's guess who popped in to see him? Eddie, Steve, and the rockers graced grace. Not the typical guys showing up at a conservative baptist bible teaching church.
Although I couldn't care less about his faith I have to give credit where credit is due, he played Koyunbaba in front of 40000 spectators in an open air baseball stadium lol
It's a real pity that Parkening retired so young. He was truly a Segovia heir. A sensible artist, although, obsessed with religious thought. His religious believe should not had to interfere with his music development. His recordings are a historic treasure, unforgettable. Hope someone uploads the entire LP records.
I prefer john williams because maestro john William is the foremost musician guitar second only to the late juan mercadal. I do disagree with Mr parkening extremely long right nails and his mechanical aproach to music. Thus john williams has the correct version of this and all music on the guitar.
But why Christopher misinforms people consciously (alternates the piece title and presents it in a super cropped way? The second and more important thing is how masterly Christopher renders the turkish as part of middle eastern tradition as if turkish people lived in the area at the time of Christ. Turk people lived in the today's middle Asia region (southern part of the centre of Russia and former USSR asian republics). Turk tribes had migrated and occupied the nowaday's Turkish state territory only a thoysand years after Christ. Turks then have recieved the native nations' cultures and obtained them. Thus, saying "turkish music" in particular "obtained native middle eastern music" has to be meant (arabic, armenian, persian, jewish, assyrian etc.), most probably with distinctive native turkish elements that they, turks, had in their art by the time.
+Julian Egan It is unique. I studied with Chris from 1988 thru 1996 at his master class he held at MSU in Bozeman. My goal was to capture that beautiful Parkening tone. Most of this technique is with the thump and index finger. For arpeggios etc. The thumb being for power when needed and the index used more like a bow of a violin. Im not sure when he developed this technique but Segovia didnt play this way and his tone wasnt what Parkenings is either. When I finally captured the Parkening tone it was a very deliberate and quite awkward change with my right hand I made to all my pieces and almost instantly the tone was very familiar.
+macleod41069 Those who die without the saving grace of God; without knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as their lord and savior; will cry and moan in the agony of hell for all eternity and will know that what Mr. Parkening spoke here is no fairytale. I pray you, sir, will not be among them, and that your eyes will be opened to the truth before it's too late.
macleod41069 There just happens to be a powerful evil force in the world called Satan. Those without faith in the Lord Jesus worship and serve him, whether they know it or not. Therein springs sin, hate, murder, suffering, war, and death. If you're not born-again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, you can't possibly hope to know anything about God; who He is, or what He does. Neither can you understand scripture. Only by repenting of your sins and coming to the Lord with a broken spirit and believing in Jesus, that He is the eternal, living Son of the living God, and that He gave His mortal body over to death as atonement for your sins; that He was buried; and rose after three days unto glory; will you be saved and then able to start to understand eternal truth.
+Jeff Puha You worship an all powerful god that does nothing to stop all the death and destruction , I'd rather be an atheist than worship that kind of God . It's not real.
