Xuefei Yang – La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin (The Girl With The Flaxen Hair) – Debussy

One of my favourite composers, Claude Debussy had a unique ability to turn light, colour and emotion into music. Fascinated by cultures and musical traditions beyond his own, he was constantly looking beyond familiar boundaries to create new and unexpected sound worlds.

On his birthday, I’m sharing 'La fille aux cheveux de lin' (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair), one of his most loved piano pieces.

Inspired by a poem set on a remote Scottish heath, it is music of warmth, simplicity and quiet contemplation. And, as it turns out, those gentle qualities feel just as much at home on the guitar.

I have recorded this piece on my 'One Day in November' EP, and revisiting it in the garden for this video brought back warm memories of Julian Bream, who made this arrangement for guitar.