An older work, but one for which I retain some fondness. It is unusual in form, consisting of just two movement (slow-fast). Over the years I made a number of attempt to add an opening fast movement, none of which seemed to work. It was first performed by an orchestra formed by member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales on the summer course, the soloist being Sally Taylor. The recording here was the second performance, which occurred in the same year at the University of Surrey.
The piece was influenced by my love of the music of William Mathias, whose works became known to me whilst a pupil at the old Grammar School at Whitland, Carmarthenshire. Mathias himself had attended the school many years before and had written the school song that we so proudly sang at the beginning and end of each term. The work exhibits many of his stylistic ticks: dance-like rhythms, harmony based on fourths and also a lyrical mysticism and incantatory insistence suggestive of Celtic myth.