Over the years, I have written a lot of music, but I have never thought of myself primarily as a composer.  In my student days through to my time at Wellington College and in Bristol, with the Bristol Bach Choir, I was an organist, teacher and choral conductor.  It was not until I moved back to London, working in education in the music industry and conducting The Chiswick Choir that I started writing again.  For that Choir I wrote 4 large scale works, Dies Irae, Carmen Paschale, Stabat Mater and A Prodigal Son. With the move to Bracknell and retirement from Yamaha, the focus changed.  No more choral work, but music for friends and colleagues and the foundation of the Conservatoire Concerts. 

 
Two years ago a friend asked me to compile a compendium of my compositions.  This prompted me to look through the pile of manuscripts (not in any order) and computer scores, and I was astonished to find what I had written since the 1970’s – over 70 works, large and small, from songs to oratorios to small piano pieces.  This gave me a nudge to start again.  The compendium now stands at 79 with new chamber and instrumental works, some of which you will hear this evening.                  

                          
This programme is devised around small-scale compositions, written primarily for friends and musician colleagues.  Often the works were composed without any future performance in mind, but now, as I approach my 83rd birthday, I thought it was time to give some of these works an exposure.  I have always thought that one pleasure I have as a composer is to write and dedicate music for friends. This programme is all about that.  The works contained here span quite a few years and most are receiving their premiere performances.   Only the “Suite for Misha” has been heard at SHP before.  All the other pieces were written for musicians who have become friends through performing in our Conservatoire Concerts.  

The Suite for Misha was composed for Mikhail Shilyaev, a good friend and a marvellous pianist.  He is also the dedicatee of the “3 Sad Songs” as he asked for some songs with a “decent piano part”.  I have often been drawn to the poetry of John Donne, previously composing some of the Holy Sonnets for Tenor and Piano Quintet, premiered successfully in London’s Purcell Room.
The Clarinet Sonata was written for David Wong, Principal Clarinet of the Grenadiers Band.  It is conceived in one continuous movement.  Slow fast Slow.   The 2nd Violin Sonata was written for Oliver and Vasilis especially for this concert.  It has 3 traditional movements, the middle being in the tempo of a Saraband.  

Guy Murgatroyd became a good friend after his extraordinary debut at SHP.  A fine virtuoso musician!  The lament in the 2nd movement is in memory of a terrible performance of some Bach by a famous pianist who should have known better. 
The 2nd Piano Trio was written for the Duke Trio after their wonderful concert at SHP last summer.  To be clear, the first 2 movements are joined together by an umbilical low D.  

The Songs of Nature are dedicated to Martin and Fiona Pagnamenta, friends going back to Cambridge days.   Living near the River Severn, the first song was composed for a concert to bring people’s attention to the ecological problems prevalent in the Wye Valley.  I selected 2 more nature poems to make a short cycle.  

The Piano Quintet was composed because I love that chamber ensemble and I wanted to give it try!  The performance is made possible by the participation of a student string quartet from Trinity Laban Conservatoire.  My thanks go to Professor Ji Liu for making this possible and to Professor Mikhail Shilyaev for agreeing to take on the piano part.   And a big “thanks” to the quartet.  It takes the usual fast – slower – fast form.  The middle Intermezzo contains a couple of jokes.  See if you can spot them.  

My very sincere thanks go to all my friends who have taken part in this concert.  I am truly grateful for their musicianship and hard work.  Thank you!

Alistair Jones

 Programme Notes Copyright Alistair Jones, 2026