(1988, revised 2000)
I Canon
II Pastorale
III Allegro Molto
Duration: 8 minutes
1) 2 Clarinets in B flat, Bassoon
2) 2 Clarinets in B flat, Bass Clarinet
First performed by Laurence Frost, Jonathan Lutz and Matthew Grey, Latymer Upper School, March 1989.
First performance of revised version Matthew Johnson, Malcolm Green and Ben Ling, 27 June 2000, Great Hall, Bedford School.
Programme Note
This work was originally written with good school players in mind when the composer himself was still at school. Each explore different sorts of counterpoint that hark back to the Neo-Classical period of Stravinsky, with allusions to The Soldier’s Tale, Octet and Dumbarton Oaks. The opening canon, based on a stark, simplistic subject, nevertheless explores a wide range of articulation, dynamics and range, contrasting expressive passages with drier ones. The second movement, notable for its prominent bassoon part, explores a wide range of textures and moods. The last movement is a burlesque of subtle syncopations and imitative byplay.