Classical Guitar Videos
Welcome to Bruce Paine’s collection of classical guitar videos.
Here you’ll find a selection of performances, recordings, and creative projects spanning Bruce’s career as a New Zealand classical guitarist and composer. Some videos are polished studio recordings, others capture the charm of live performances or informal home sessions — all reflect a passion for music and storytelling through guitar.
Additional concert excerpts may be added over time, offering further glimpses into performances past and present.
Hine E Hine for solo guitar arranged and performed by New Zealand born guitarist composer Bruce Paine.
This is one of four Maori Folk Song arrangements written especially for a NAXOS CD (released October 11th 2019) by Wellington guitarist Gunter Herbig.
Commissioned for the Beatty Classical Guitar Competition, Washington DC, as the set work for 2009, ‘Pulsar’ is so named after beams of light, from a rotating starlike body, that appears to blink as it spins. As the piece opens a single note repeats and Vincent LindseyClark captures the heartbeat of this distant and recursive celestial event.
This performance was recorded on the 29th April 2019 and is published here with the composer's permission.
A festive season offering of music performance, photography and artwork from Bruce Paine. Music: New Zealand Christmas Carol 'Te Harinui' by Willow Macky. Arranged for solo guitar by Bruce Paine, December 2024.
The classical guitar music featured in this video is entitled "Finchdean", composed by Bruce Paine. Bruce was inspired to write the piece following a walk through farmland near the village of Finchdean in Hampshire, England. The focal point of that walk was the historic church of St Hubert’s — also known as “The Little Church in the Field” — believed to date back as far as the 11th century. A magnificent feature of the chapel is the 14th-century mural that was uncovered in 1864.
"Finchdean" is Bruce Paine’s most loved solo guitar composition and has been performed in countries around the world, including New Zealand, Australia, England, France, the Czech Republic, and Mexico. It is a popular choice for guitar students sitting advanced university-level performance exams and has been accepted by Trinity College London as valid FTCL-level exam repertoire.
The premiere recording of Finchdean was released by Bruce in 2008 on his album Lateral Lines. A later interpretation by Wellington guitarist Gunter Herbig appears on the 2017 NAXOS album New Zealand Guitar Music. Both recordings offer unique insights into the piece and are well worth hearing for their contrasting artistic perspectives. Bruce has since revisited the work in a subsequent recording on The Selwyn Recital, reflecting how his interpretation has evolved over time.
For classical guitarists interested in performing "Finchdean", the sheet music is available as a paid electronic download via Lulu Publishing and the Centre for New Zealand Music (SOUNZ):
This composition for solo classical guitar is a musical tribute to Seringapatam, a town in the Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka and place of great religious, cultural and historic significance. The non-anglicised version of Seringapatam is Srirangapatna (also spelled Shrirangapattana.) The music was specially composed by Bruce Paine for his music DVD Alberton (BNP DVD 01) which was inspired by the iconic 1863 homestead Alberton in Auckland New Zealand. For the DVD a completely different video was made with Alberton as the setting.
Classical guitarists interested in playing this composition can download a copy of the sheet music from this web site and the sound track is available via iTunes.
Inspired by the traditional Maori hymn "Tama Ngakau Marie" (Son of Peace), this musical invention is performed here by the composer, Bruce Paine.
This is one of four Maori Folk Song arrangements written especially for a NAXOS CD (released October 11th 2019) by Wellington guitarist Gunter Herbig.
'Circle Dance' was inspired by the English folk song, 'A Rosebud in June' which is about country life, people living off the land and celebrating the arrival of summer.
Performed by the composer Bruce Paine and recorded in April 2020 as part of his online concert video released during lock-down in New Zealand.
This is a single-take video performance of Štěpán Rak's 'Remembering Prague' with the full, extended tremolo conclusion.
This excerpt from Bruce's November 9th concert took place in Blenheim, New Zealand on November 9th 2018. The concert was entitled "Sea Fever, River Flow" and included this performance of Štěpán Rak's 'Remembering Prague'.
'Tarakihi Invention' pays tribute to the energy and dramatic impact of Maori haka or ceremonial dance while also employing textures which are intended to resemble the scratchy, clicking, pulsing sounds of the cicada in the height of a New Zealand summer. To enhance the effect, the piece was performed with a prepared guitar involving a hair clip inserted between the strings.
Performed by the composer Bruce Paine and recorded in April 2020 as part of his online concert video released during lock-down in New Zealand.
Waitemata Reverie is a substantial single movement work for solo classical guitar by New Zealand composer Bruce Paine. The work was inspired in part by Bruce’s memories and many experiences of his home city harbour and beaches. Auckland’s Waitemata harbour is noted for it’s sparkling water, islands and sheltered bays. The composition is also a tribute to New Zealand service men and women who left the shores of NZ by steam ship in the war years of the 20th century. Further inspiration for the piece came from the New Zealand folk song ‘Rangitoto Farewell’ composed by Stan H. Wood who served in Europe during World War One. The opening notes of the song helped form the basis of this composition while expressive features were inspired by imagery within the song lyrics.
Performed by the composer Bruce Paine and recorded in April 2020 as part of his online concert video released during lock-down in New Zealand.
This composition for solo classical guitar, inspired by the Scottish folk-song 'Peat Fire Flame’, has a dream-like quality of fantasy and inwardness, interspersed with moments of silence and moving towards episodes of increased tension as well as spiritual quietness.
Performed by the composer Bruce Paine and recorded in April 2020 as part of his online concert video released during lock-down in New Zealand.
This video features Miguel Llobet's guitar duet transcription of 'Spanish Dance No. 6, Rondalla Aragonesa' by Enrique Granados performed by the Alberton Guitar Duo (Bruce Paine and Rex Button) during their April 2011 concert at the Rose Centre Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.
This video features Bruce Paine's guitar duet 'Anatolia - Aotearoa' performed by Barkin Sertkaya and Bruce Paine during their September 15th 2019 concert at historic Alberton, Auckland, New Zealand.
This video features Agustin Barrios Mangore's guitar duet 'Danza Paraguaya' performed by the Alberton Guitar Duo during their April 2011 concert at the Rose Centre Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.
This is a guitar duet setting of the famous and much loved Scottish ballad Annie Laurie. It is based on a set of piano variations by Irish born composer William Vincent Wallace (1812 - 1865). This guitar duet arrangement closely follows the format of the original but with new ideas and changes that were necessary to suit the voice of the guitar. This heart warming piece is featured on Bruce Paine’s DVD on the Auckland historic house Alberton and forms part of a special tribute to the music loving Kerr Taylor family.
Sheet music for this piece is available.
Recording: Alberton DVD+CD Set.
Please note, the DVD version of this duet performance differs from the one shown here.
This video shows excerpts from Bruce Paine's concert that took place at Alberton on November 8th 2014. The concert was entitled "The Enchanted Guitar".
Bruce Paine's performance of Granada by Isaac Albeniz.
Bruce Paine's performance of Cadiz by Isaac Albeniz.
Music video. Dance of the Walrus - from Sea Suite by Bruce Paine
This short piece is from Bruce Paine's Sea Suite for Guitar, each section of which was inspired by various aquatic creatures such as the shark, the octopus and the walrus. Some might question the concept of dancing walruses but going by video footage on the Internet, the piece Dance of the Walrus seems entirely valid. Either way it adds a light-hearted element and further contrast to the music.
A note for classical guitarists. This composition while offering something different makes a great study piece for the student repertoire. The sheet music for "Dance of the Walrus" is free to download exclusively from this site. The full music score is also readily available. Electronic downloads of Sea Suite and other sheet music are available via Bruce Paine's web site for a small fee. Hard copies can be purchased via the SOUNZ online music store for New Zealand composers.
Music video. The Whale and the Octopus - from Sea Suite by Bruce Paine
This short piece is the second in a set of pieces entitled "Sea Suite" composed by New Zealand classical guitarist Bruce Paine in 2007 inspired by the work of underwater photographer Colin Gans. The Whale and the Octopus focuses on the contrasting images of a great lumbering mammal of the sea, rhythmically propelling itself with its massive flippers and that of the delicate tentacles of an octopus hypnotically unfurling as it is suspended in the sea. Those who know that octopi spend most of their time clinging camouflaged to rocks and are rarely seen floating about as one sees on TV documentaries, might forgive the flaw in this flight of fancy!
Music video. Sea Life - from Sea Suite by Bruce Paine
In 2007 New Zealand classical guitarist Bruce Paine was approached by underwater photographer Colin Gans with the idea of composing a piece for a digital slideshow presentation of images captured in Niue. The stunning underwater images proved to be an excellent catalyst for ideas that would form a new piece entitled Sea Life. The work can be considered a type of tone poem that begins with the image of a diver sitting in a boat and commencing his dive with a backward roll entry into the sea. The diver is surrounded by a momentary surge of bubbles and is soon swimming about. Gradually the scene beneath the waves is revealed and signs of life start to appear - small fish darting about, inquisitive grouper fish along with other fascinating and delicately beautiful creatures. Dissonant chords represent a large shark quietly passing by with its fins glinting in reflected sunlight from the surface. Surging arpeggios represent the awe-inspiring sight of a massive school of fish moving rapidly as one powerful entity. Eventually the diver's underwater experience comes to an end and the final bars of the piece represent the return to the surface and daylight.
<p
Music video. Shark Dream and Reprise - from Sea Suite by Bruce Paine
This short piece is the last of a set of pieces entitled "Sea Suite" composed by New Zealand classical guitarist Bruce Paine in 2007 inspired by the work of underwater photographer Colin Gans. Nobody really knows if sharks spend any time sleeping let alone dreaming. There are reports of sharks resting motionless in caves but even then their eyes suggest that they are conscious of divers swimming around. It is believed that a shark is capable of shutting down half of its brain while the other half remains alert, so perhaps it cannot truly find restful sleep. Shark Dream and Reprise rounds off the suite, first with a tense musical representation of the dream, then a recap of earlier material that safely returns the listener to the surface.
Music video. Dance of the Walrus - from Sea Suite by Bruce Paine
This short piece is from Bruce Paine's Sea Suite for Guitar, each section of which was inspired by various aquatic creatures such as the shark, the octopus and the walrus. Some might question the concept of dancing walruses but going by video footage on the Internet, the piece Dance of the Walrus seems entirely valid. Either way it adds a light-hearted element and further contrast to the music.
The video footage is intended for the young and the young at heart. It is not meant to be serious and is an attempt at something a bit different from the usual classical guitar video.
A note for budding classical guitarists. This composition while offering something different makes a great study piece for the student repertoire. The sheet music for "Dance of the Walrus" is free to download exclusively from this site. The full music score is also readily available. Electronic downloads of Sea Suite and other sheet music are available via Bruce Paine's web site for a small fee. Hard copies can be purchased via the SOUNZ online music store for New Zealand composers.
Music video. Mountain Cascade - NZ Suite for Guitar by Bruce Paine
This is the first movement of Bruce Paine's New Zealand Suite for Guitar. Mountain Cascade echoes the movement of mountain streams in particular near Mount Cook, where the water tumbles and bounces over rocks then suddenly calms as it reaches a lake.
The intention was for the suite to be an easily playable, concert opener that would not be too physically demanding but with enough substance to be musically satisfying. Despite this it is fair to say that a reasonably high level of proficiency is required to achieve a convincing performance, particularly with the third movement that requires great dexterity and stamina.
Electronic downloads of the New Zealand Suite and other sheet music are available via Bruce Paine's web site for a small fee. Hard copies can be purchased from the SOUNZ online music store for New Zealand composers.
<p
Music video. Rotoiti Twilight - NZ Suite for Guitar by Bruce Paine
This is the second movement of Bruce Paine's New Zealand Suite for Guitar. Rotoiti Twilight conjures up the atmosphere of an evening stroll from the village of St Arnaud in the Nelson Lakes District to the tranquil shores of Lake Rotoiti.
The intention was for the suite to be an easily playable, concert opener that would not be too physically demanding but with enough substance to be musically satisfying. Despite this it is fair to say that a reasonably high level of proficiency is required to achieve a convincing performance, particularly with the third movement that requires great dexterity and stamina.
Electronic downloads of the New Zealand Suite and other sheet music are available via Bruce Paine's web site for a small fee. Hard copies can be purchased from the SOUNZ online music store for New Zealand composers.
Music video. The Forest Awakens - NZ Suite for Guitar by Bruce Paine
This is the third movement from Bruce Paine's New Zealand Suite for Guitar. Contrasting with the preceding slower movement, The Forest Awakens presents a morning scene on the shores of Lake Rotoiti, where native birds sing passionately and animals stir along the "Bell Bird Walk".
The intention was for the suite to be an easily playable, concert opener that would not be too physically demanding but with enough substance to be musically satisfying. Despite this it is fair to say that a reasonably high level of proficiency is required to achieve a convincing performance, particularly with the third movement that requires great dexterity and stamina.
Electronic downloads of the New Zealand Suite and other sheet music are available via this web site for a small fee. Hard copies can be purchased from the SOUNZ online music store for New Zealand composers.
This work needs little or no introduction to lovers of classical guitar and/or classical music. The Miller's Dance is a well known piece, in the form of a Farruca, from the ballet "The Three Cornered Hat" by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla.
The evocative Spanish Dance No 2 "Oriental" by Enrique Granados and much-loved favourite of the performers. Performed here by New Zealand guitarists Bruce Paine and Rex Button.
Another performance of the famous tremolo study ‘Recuerdos del la Alhambra’ by Francisco Tarrega. Performed by Bruce Paine as recorded at the Auckland Museum grand foyer. This video performance is skillfully mimed to the soundtrack.
A live performance of the famous tremolo study ‘Recuerdos del la Alhambra’ by Francisco Tarrega. Played by Bruce Paine as special guest artist performing for the New Zealand Guitar Ensemble concert in 2006.
This is a slideshow of photographs taken in the Finchdean and Idsworth area (in Hampshire, England) showing typical farmland and summer crops of barley. The historic church known as "The little church in a field" featured in this video is St Huberts Chapel which is believed to date as far back as the 11th century. A magnificent feature of the chapel is a 14th century mural that was uncovered in 1864.
The music "Finchdean" for solo classical guitar was written by New Zealand guitarist Bruce Paine after he had visited St Huberts and walked in the surrounding farmland. The piece is Bruce's most loved solo guitar composition which has been performed in countries around the world including New Zealand, Australia, England, France, the Czech Republic and Mexico. It is a popular choice for guitar students sitting advanced University level performance exams and has been accepted by the Trinity College of London as valid FTCL level exam repertoire.
Photography by Diana Goss, Paul Stone, Chris Gunns, Derek Hasted and Bruce Paine. The music in this video is performed by Bruce Paine on his 2008 album "Lateral Lines".
The sheet music for Finchdean is available as an electronic download via Bruce Paine's web site for a small charge and hard copies can be purchased via the Centre for New Zealand Music/SOUNZ.
An original classical guitar solo performed by Bruce Paine at Alberton, Auckland, New Zealand. This composition was specially written for a DVD being made about the historic place Alberton. The music attempts to conjure up the atmosphere of the volcanic cone on the slopes of which Alberton is situated. In particular it expresses the feeling of solitude that can be felt when a person sits on the slopes of a mountain.
Preview of Bruce Paine's guitar music DVD celebrating 150 years of the historic house/farm Alberton, and the Kerr Taylor family in Auckland, New Zealand. The Alberton homestead was built in 1863 and was the inspiration for the classical guitar music that is featured on the DVD.
"Alberton" the feature length music video and "Patty's Galop" a music video short were both officially selected for the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival 2013, Washington, USA, August 14-18
An original classical guitar solo performed by Bruce Paine in the ballroom at Alberton, Auckland, New Zealand. Original classical guitar music composed by Bruce Paine. This was specially composed for a DVD being made about the historic place Alberton. The music is inspired by Victorian ballroom etiquette.
The popular duet "Cuban Dance" performed by classical guitarists Bruce Paine and Rex Button at the Rose Centre Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.