To Gain A Throne

To Gain A Throne grew out of a collaboration between Canadian composer Shaun Elder and the Spanish classical guitarist Alejandro Valencia, whose YouTube channel is Arte de la Guitarra. 

After collaborating with Alejandro on a series of 50 short guitar sketches, Shaun  began to wonder about adding a bowed instrument to the mix, and later, Alejandro had the idea of adding a hand drum. So was born the León Ensemble.  More collaboration is in the works.

The acoustic guitar is a captivating storytelling instrument, especially in the hands of a master like Alejandro. The cello section adds expressive sustained notes, rhythmic intensity, and deep chords. The hand drum adds incredible character and energy to the final piece, Pageant. 

It’s a band a bit like you might have heard in medieval times, but with a modern sound that gives it a timeless quality. 

Cover photo credit: Megan Sanford - Unsplash. Cello photo by Johanna Vogt - Unsplash. Guitar photos by Alejandro Valencia show the instruments he used on this project (both of which he made himself!).