Suite for Wind Trio (flute, clarinet and bassoon).

After the job of heavy-duty knitting that was the symphony, I decided on a complete change of scale. A short set of contrasting pieces for a simple wind trio had the joint advantages of straightforward harmony and brevity of execution. This is a slight piece, a diversion more than any proud theoretical discussion, and owes a lot to the slighter pieces by people like Ibert, or the Brits Malcolm Arnold and Gordon Jacob. The emphasis is on playability, allowing for my own high standards; while my main task I writing it, I felt was the need to find every possible variety in texture between the three voices, else even a short piece might lag.

The first movement, 'allegretto pomposo', presents a few themes all in a similar politely dissonant style, allowing all three instruments a lively warm-up. The clarinet works with bassoon and flute in equal measure, while each instrument is allowed a brief cadenza. The second movement, 'allegretto pastorale', is a similar tempo, but a dissimilar, more introspective mood. A lilting clarinet melody alternates with mimicing, echoing passages. The third movement, 'adagio', is a concious attempt at the wide-open chorale harmonies of early Stravinsky; with a dash of the stolid block harmony of Shostakovich. The fourth movement is a carefully built-up modal tune, in which all three instruments play both melody and accompaniment, as the music swells and dies away. The fifth and final movement is a blues. Each instrument gets a 'solo', while the others support with a sort of off-centre syncopated rhythm.