Serene Nights is the sixth album from trail-blazing Australian guitar ensemble Guitar Trek. The album draws on music from far beyond the guitar’s usual repertoire, reimagining works from a variety of genres: “We’ve explored pieces for solo piano, dipped into the chamber music repertoire, and also tackled a movement originally written for full orchestra! We’ve also indulged in music well and truly outside the world of standard classical music, which is something the guitar handles with remarkable familiarity.”

The title track is a unique arrangement, involving considerable improvisation – all founded on a work by the multi-instrumentalist ‘Bau’ (Rufino Almeida), a native of Cape Verde. The disc also features more familiar music – Tchaikovsky’s much-loved Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker, for instance, in an arrangement that pays homage to the guitar’s origins as the accompaniment for songs and dances.

Serene Nights spans 150 years and a kaleidoscopic range of musical cultures and colours – all brought together through the beauty and eloquence of the guitar quartet.