• About the DGS
• Meeting Dates
• How To Find Us

The Dorset Guitar Society

The Dorset Guitar Society (formerly known as the Dorset Guitar & Lute Circle) was formed in October 1984 by a number of Dorset guitarists to promote the music of their instrument via solo and ensemble performances, master classes, workshops and concerts given by the guitar society and visiting artists.

We meet monthly at Kinson Community Centre in Bournemouth. Meetings are informal with an orchestral practice followed by a short tea break before a free-for-all concert giving members the chance to play their own music.

Over the years we have hosted classical guitar recitals and master classes by some of the most renowned players in the world, including The Katona Twins, David Russell, Simon Dinnigan, John Mills, Neil Smith, The New Pro Arte Guitar Trio, Vincent Lindsay Clark and Xuefei Yang. Each year we invite the winner of the Ivor Mairants International Guitar Competition for young guitarists to give a recital. We have also participated in workshops and talks by Jose Romanillos, Ian Gammie, Steven Gordon, Gilbert Biberian, Cornelius Bruinsma and Gerald Garcia.

In 1994 the society formed its own guitar orchestra and over the past few years has premiered Stephen Kenyon's Concerto for Guitar Soloist and Guitar Orchestra and Grant Bocking's Spanish Suite for Guitar Orchestra, as well as playing recitals locally around Dorset.