O JERUSALEM

Guitarist and instrumentally oriented composer Gordon Giltrap (b. 1948) hasn't been heavily reviewed here; especially in Finland he's always been too forgotten, or rather, completely unknown by many. Here's a single with a non-album track, released around Fear of the Dark (1978) and The Peacock Party (1979).

'O Jerusalem' is Giltrap's instrumental version of the famous hymn 'Jerusalem' (composed by Hubert Parry to the William Blake poem), well known for the prog listeners as a powerfully rocking version of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and from the Vangelis soundtrack Chariots of Fire. Giltrap offers an interesting addition to the piece's recorded crossover versions. The 23-second guitar intro doesn't yet reveal what's coming. The arriving main melody sounds at first like a pan flute, but it must be a recorder played by Richard Harvey (of Gryphon), who plays on both Fear of the Dark and The Peacock Party albums. Soft choir soon joins, and then the whole rock combo. I'm strongly reminded of what SKY did with classical pieces some years later, only that the electric guitar is perhaps more central in the bombastic arrangement than on Sky's music averagely. Luckily Giltrap recorded it before Sky's body of work. This is not a bad version, although I definitely prefer the mighty ELP song. It must be said that organ suits much better as the lead instrument than the electric guitar heard here.

'Party Piece' is taken from The Peacock Party. This is a lively, joyful and folky instrumental with kindred spirit to both Yes at their most playful and Gryphon at their most rocking. Harvey's recorder is in the leading role for the main melody. Mike Oldfield's folk pieces from the 70's also have something in common for the atmosphere.