Last Supper Music Style

my musical taste is all over the place, though quite specific in each genre - it's the individual artists who click with me more than just a genre.

There's only one with any real connection to acoustic guitar. Though Troy Donockley is best known for being at the forefront of Uillean pipes playing. 

But he can play the acoustic guitar very well and has a very lovely sounding Fylde Oberon.

Plus one of their Bouzoukis.  Fanfret Bouzouki

I have his 3 solo albums and they are a lovely blend of folk, celtic, acoustic, and classical. A pretty unique blend, especially with the pipes. The Uillean pipes are much softer and emotive than the Scottish Pipes.

He was with Iona for a few years who were at the forefront of Celtic folk (/rock) bands.

Lots of session work including albums with Maddy Prior and on Barabara Dicksons folk oriented albums.

Plus a collaroration with Ade Edmondson and other folk musicians in the Bad Shepherds. Traditional folk instruments playing arrangements of punk songs. Sounds bizarre but it works.

I can see how they teamed up as Troy has a wicked sense of deadpan humour. And is also a dab hand at magic tricks. A good guest I thought.

Full time member of Nightwish since 2013 following various contributions with them starting in 2007 - this was where I first became aware of him.

Claudio Abbado is one of the greatest Classical Music conductors of his generation and had a desire for the composers music to be prominent rather than put his personal stamp on everything. Grew up in wartime Italy and his experience of facism at first hand seemed to have guided him to a much less authoratarian style than many conductors. La Scala, London Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic amongst his principal conductor roles, and he also formed a number of orchestra allowing younger musicians to flourish. He lived for 12 years under the hammer of stomach cancer which finally extinguished a beautiful musical spark in 2014. He looked positely skeletal and haggard when he came back to conducting a few months after the operation in 2002 which removed a portion of digestive sytem - but the music still shone brightly and he was to say near the end it was music that kept him going so long.

He spoke very little in rehearsals and relied on eyes and facial contact during performances to bring out the best in the music.

"...it is indispensable to know the score perfectly and be familiar with the life, the works and the entire era of the composer. I feel more secure without a score. Communication with the orchestra is easier."

Makes my inability to even remember a simple guitar peice seem pretty pathetic!

Floor is a singer who has brought me to a teary eyed state more often than any other singer. I knew nothing of her until 2018 when I stumbled across the Mark 3 version of Nightwish.

She does solo work too, which is not symphonic metal. Voice quality is stunning - accuracy of pitch, shaping of tonal qualities and breath control suggesting a massive lung capacity. Many years of hard work and musical education helps of course, and I wonder how annoying it is for someone who worked so hard to hear people say they just have natural talent. Above all it is the singing of a story teller, not just singing.

She would certainly bring a huge amount of warmth and goodness as well as beuty. A most beautiful person in all respects.

Arjen Anthony Lucassen is better known as the creative force behind the group Ayreon. Who of course are not that well known because instead of being American or British he has the issue of being Dutch and therefore ignored by the British and American musical media. Ayreon albums each contain a story and usually have different singers who represent different characters in the story. A number of the album stories are based in the same universe. Lucassen writes the music and the lyrics, sings and plays most of the instruments on all of the Ayreon albums, with some guest musicians to help out usually on drums and folk / classical instruments. Difficult to define the style of music. There's some progressive, rock, metal, folk, electronic, experimental and classical. In general the singers he gets in are of very high quality and from all over the world. I've seen him in a good few interviews and he comes across as being humble, self deprecating, with a sense of humour and with interesting things to say. Hence a dinner guest.

So no surprise they were unknown to you Derek!