Programme Note

Written in memory of Philip Jones, this short work was first performed at his memorial concert held at the Royal Northern College of Music in 2000. Scored for Brass Quintet, it was performed by former members of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble.

My friendship with Philip Jones stretched back to my student days, when my Quintet for Brass was performed during my final year at the Royal Academy of Music. Philip was present at that premiere in 1967, and soon after that his ensemble performed and broadcast the Quintet on a UK Tour, including a performance in the finals of the BBC Young Composer’s Competition. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for promoting a work by a then unknown young composer.

I use a brief quote from the opening of my 1967 Brass Quintet in this work, which is generally rather sombre in character, except for the sudden change of mood and tempo in the short final section, when the clouds suddenly lift and the sun shines through.

In 2019 I revised the work for a recording by London Brass on the Chandos label.


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Written: 2000

Instrumentation:
Brass Quintet

Genre: Brass Ensemble

Publisher:

Duration: 5'

First Performance: 2000
Royal Northern College of Music
Former members of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble