A pastoral theme and variations reminiscent of early 20th century British composers such as Coates and Bridge. The recording is of the world premiere performance by the Peninsula Strings, under the direction of Michael Reason.

The Concertino for Trumpet is a bright, joyful concert piece composed for the instrument I played in my youth and inspired by virtuosi like Maurice Andre and Wynton Marsalis. Ah, how I wish I had played like this.......

The concerto, written for B-flat clarinet, explores the versatility and expressive range of the solo instrument - not least of all it's four octave range, from sultry lows to lyrical mid-range and screaming highs.

A very early work that needs serious revision, particularly to the outer movements. However, the remaining movement, with its flamenco allusions, still has some appeal and is presented here.

Writing for an instrument that seems to have a zest for life, its difficult not to imagine virtuosic passages. The pitfall (hopefully avoided in this work) is forgetting to allow the soloist sufficient places to breathe!

This piece is based on the composer's memories of England, where he was born and raised. The four movements follow the seasons of the year. Memory and distance have a way of filtering events, so this is undoubtedly a very 'impressionistic' work!

In "Winter's Gift", the 4th movement, you'll hear the pre-Christmas rush, excited children playing, church bells ringing, family reunions, and the occasional snowstorm blowing a Dickensian touch over the landscape (or is it the Grinch....?).