Alison Bendy (b.1954) was inspired to play the guitar by many teachers in her home city of Bristol, especially Patrick Benham, Tim Royal and Patrick Tedbury.
At an impressionable age she was fortunate that her father took her to many concerts given by John Williams, Julian Bream, Segovia and Paco Pena.
As a teenager she became known for her appearances on local radio and radio, playing flamenco and classical guitar as well as working with a folk singer. This led to an appearance on ITV’s New Faces in 1973. In the same year she attended a Summer School at Downe House directed by American conductor and guitarist, Thomas Hartman. Here she met the Oxford-based guitarists John Whitworth, Peter Nuttall and Gerald Garcia.
Alison then moved to Oxford, setting up a teaching practice as well as performing with chamber groups and choirs. She has played solo at the Purcell Room and recorded music for BBC’s Everyman series.
Alison performs in a duo with Gerald Garcia (2Guitars), in a duo with her daughter Layla Whitworth who plays flute, recorder and celtic harp (Rosetta) and in a guitar quartet with Petula Compton, John Compton and Julian Taylor (The Aragon Guitar Quartet).
Since 1981 Alison has been directly involved in publishing guitar music with Holley Music and later ABG publications.
She has recorded her own successful solo album on CD titled Danza Mora. The selection of music ranges from lively flamenco-type pieces to blues, traditional and celtic-influenced music, and the shorter cassette version recorded by John Taylor received a good review in 1990. *
The pieces on the CD are from four publications: La Guitarra Flamenca by Robin Pearson (published by Hampton Music Publishers available from www.guitarnotes.co.uk), Playford Fantasia, Diversions and Twelve Inventions by Peter Nuttall and John Whitworth available from www.alisonbendy.com or Holley Music.
