Robert Sequoia Blends Easy Listening and Classic Guitar on Compassion

Man playing the guitar Photo by 42 North from Pexels

Robert Sequoia is a classical guitarist who has performed extensively throughout the Santa Fe, NM, region, including numerous sold out shows at the historic Loretto Chapel. In addition to his shows in and around Santa Fe, NM, Robert Sequoia has frequently toured Kauai, Hawaii, where his track Song for the Moon reached number one on KKCR radio.

Song for the Moon is a single taken from the 1999 album Compassion. Released on Ancient Forest Music, Compassion embraces elements of easy listening and pop music while blending Sequoia's typical influences of international, new age, and classical guitar. Furthermore, the meditative compositions allow the songs on Compassion to function as relaxation and mindfulness music. Album opener Streams and Rivers flows with the ease and beauty of water for seven and a half minutes, while the closing song called Opening takes listeners on a near 11-minute journey through tranquil soundscapes built around Sequoia’s expert guitar playing.

The album’s pop sensibilities, meanwhile, reveal themselves on tracks such as Para Tu Cumpleanos and Remembrances, as well as Sequoia’s most successful single, Song for the Moon. Compassion is available online.

Beauty and Mystery in Santa Fe’s Loretto Chapel

An accomplished classical guitarist living in Santa Fe, NM, Robert Sequoia has made five compact discs and played scores of concerts. One of Robert Sequoia’s favorite venues is the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM.

This Roman Catholic church began as a school for girls in 1850. The architect laid out a Gothic structure that commanded attention among the surrounding adobe houses. He died before he could design a way for singers to reach the choir loft. 

Building a conventional staircase would drastically cut seating in the chapel. Lacking a solution, the sisters, so the story goes, prayed for nine days for a miracle.

On the last day, a carpenter appeared, bearing only a hammer and a squaring tool. He built a structure known today as the Miraculous Staircase, using only wooden pegs and a kind of wood not found in the Southwest. He apparently left without asking for payment. When they could not find a receipt for the materials so they could pay the carpenter back, it was considered an act of God.

The 20-foot-tall staircase forms a spiral that makes two 360-degree turns. It has no central pole for support - the bottom step supports all the structure's weight. This lack of visible support lends an air of mystery, but a more prosaic explanations lies in the design of the stringers attached to the steps. 

Even without a supernatural intervention, it is an impressive example of craftsmanship. The stairs have been closed since the 1970s, ostensibly to meet the fire code but more likely from overuse. However, brides and grooms may still pose for photographs on the lower ten steps.

The Long History of the Classical Guitar

A resident of Santa Fe, NM, Robert Sequoia has shared his gift of the classical guitar in hundreds of performances. In his concerts in Santa Fe, NM, and elsewhere, Robert Sequoia draws on the extensive history of the instrument.

Early versions of the guitar were played in Spain during the 15th century. Known as a vihuela, it had four pairs of strings, eight in all. It was much smaller than today’s guitars, not much larger than a ukulele. Although some critics disliked its sound, the guitar became an accepted part of musical ensembles and was also used as a complement to vocals. 

Early in the next century, a ninth string was added for low notes. French king Louis XIV enjoyed this instrument, ensuring its popularity. Serious composers began writing for it.

In the late 1700s, guitars with six single strings appeared, possibly because six strings were cheaper than nine. It also evolved to resemble the shape of the modern instrument. The guitar’s popularity among composers waned, however. For example, Mozart wrote nothing for it.

The guitar’s sound did not fit in well with the lush music of the Romantic era. It languished until late in the 19th century, when Spanish instrument maker Antonio de Torres widened the guitar’s body and lengthened its neck and strings, enabling the production of louder tones.

The 20th century was the era of master guitarist Andres Segovia. His fame enabled him to commission many new works by composers such as Heitor Villa-Lobos. Classical guitar music now has many followers, thanks to stellar performers including John Williams and Julian Bream.