Philippe Rouquié
Philippe Rouquié was born in France on 27 March (Mozart’s birthday) in 1956. He is passionate about classical music and has played the guitar since he was 10. Philippe discovered the British folk guitar tradition and was especially inspired by Bert’s music whilst still at school. He says: “Alas, here in France, the music of Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Stefan Grossman and others is hardly known! I am often surprised to find this ignorance of the greatest folk / blues / jazz guitarists. It is a great honour for me to be on this journey and able to participate in these tributes to Bert with real Scots, real English and others”.
She Moves Through the Fair
Philippe says: “For me, Bert’s music is universal and timeless. It intrigues, then captivates, fascinates, hypnotizes. It is a Magic Music, because it transports us, very high, or very low; but always with the same rigour and disconcerting originality in order to praise the ‘Beauty’. This song reminds me of this beautiful sentence which I think is significant in the context: ‘Between love’s blindness and the clarity of knowledge, I choose love’s opacity that eases my pain’– Nasio”
“I work in nature and in distillation; not distillation for Scotch Whisky, but of essential oils. Bert’s music is a distillation – a mixture of restraint and rage, power chiselled in lace …a quest for the absolute of perfection. It opens up worlds of lyricism, romanticism, multiple poems, mysterious evocations, unknown voyages.”
