PROGRAMME NOTES

Sonatina for Solo Bassoon

(1966/2011)
[Three movements differentiated by tempo makings]

This Sonatina began in 1965 when my wife and I went to stay with some friends in Paris and there was a bassoonist practising madly on the top floor of the house, which compelled me to start a solo bassoon piece. Like some French players he loved very high notes – up to top F – and so my Sonatina exploited the high register. Over the intervening years I showed the score to several distinguished British players and they all ran a mile. Eventually I got the message and in 2011 I revised it for Rosie Burton who gave the first performance at the Royal Northern College of Music on 26 October 2014 and later recorded it. PD