Writing instrumental pieces is always a delight - without a set of words to hang the music on, the blank canvas can be exciting, although occasionally terrifying as well!
Sometimes a good starting point is the title and the instrumentalists that the piece is being written for.
'The Last Boat to Skye' conjured up a nostalgic piece with a 'Scottish-style melody'. Scotch snap rhythms are included and this melodic piece, once started, almost wrote itself.
It was conceived for Guitar and Flute and the Piano and Oboe piece came later by request.
The piece can be played, however, on either the Flute, Oboe or Violin.
'The Dales Suite' uses the 'quintessentially 'English sounding Oboe and the Yorkshire Dales is a place I feel at my happiest.
Having had a cottage in Horton-in-Ribblesdale under the foot of Penyghent for a couple of years, I am aware of how bleak in winter that this area can seem (which, of course, adds to its grandeur) and how, in Summer, it takes on a much different, more relaxed and peaceful atmosphere of lazy days in which time has no meaning.
Again, the piece is suitable for Flute, Oboe or Violin... here's a recording of the Introduction, and the other two can be found on our Instrumental/Orchestral Playlist on our Youtube Channel. They are now both available as hard copy pieces or PDF downloads.
I have no particular favourites in my Instrumental catalogue, but clearly performers have and these two are consistently at the top of my performance returns from the Performing Rights Society.
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