On 27 August there was a wonderful performance of ‘Urizen’ played by Rachel Roberts (viola) and Chris Hopkins (piano) in a typically ingenious programme at the Presteigne Festival. ‘Urizen’ was also given a brilliant performance in Brighton by Ros Hanson (viola) and Steve Carroll-Turner on 11 June!

‘Three Cafés’ for clarinet and piano are not too difficult or too serious!
‘New York Café, Rio Café and, of course, ‘Paris Café.

Yoko Ono included my ‘Period Pieces’ for piano in her recital on Wednesday 28th June at St Nicholas church in Brighton. The pieces follow the form of dances from a baroque suite – Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue. Hear the Gigue on Soundcloud

Chidiock Tichborne was only 24 years old when he was brutally executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered for his role in the Babington Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I in 1586. His ‘Elegy’, (‘My Prime of Youth is but a Frost of Cares’) written on the eve of his execution was sent to his wife and remains his most famous poem. This short piece for brass instruments is suitably dramatic and tragic.
Hear it on Soundcloud

Yulia Drukh is a truly astonishing clarinettist with many international awards to her name so I’m thrilled that her new CD (available internationally from 9th June) includes my ‘Mimes’ for solo clarinet. Unusually, all the music on the CD is for solo clarinet and features works from the 20th and 21st centuries including a virtuoso version of ’Asturias’ by Isaac Albeniz.