Howard Skempton

Originally scored for solo piano and full orchestra, Skempton's Piano Concerto has been arranged by the composer for quintet, broadening its reach to smaller ensembles. The work consists of five short...

Written as a surprise present for the Schubert Ensemble in celebration of their 30th anniversary, this playful piece for violin, viola, cello, bass, and piano has light-hearted references to Stravinsk...

This piece owes its title and much of its elegiac but optimistic character to a poem by Mary Webb. Webb's fine lyric verse is echoed in the song-like directness and simplicity of form captured in this...

For violin, viola, and celloThis piece owes its title and much of its elegiac but optimistic character to a poem by Mary Webb. Webb's fine lyric verse is echoed in the song-like directness and simplic...

Written for the Smith Quartet, the title refers to some of the many different meanings of the word 'catch' - fishing, tricks, rounds. The result is a twelve-minute piece played continuously and full o...

Tendrils has been described as a 'masterly display of Skempton's utterly natural art.' It is built out of continuous undulating lines that sustain their effect throughout, the impulse being lyrical an...

Moving On is a single movement work for string quartet. Skempton masterfully combines classical string quartet textures with luxuriant harmonies and a fluid approach to tonality, resulting in an appea...

Moving On is a single movement work for string quartet. Skempton masterfully combines classical string quartet textures with luxuriant harmonies and a fluid approach to tonality, resulting in an appea...

Written for the Smith Quartet, the title refers to some of the many different meanings of the word 'catch' - fishing, tricks, rounds. The result is a twelve-minute piece played continuously and full o...

Tendrils has been described as a 'masterly display of Skempton's utterly natural art.' It is built out of continuous undulating lines that sustain their effect throughout, the impulse being lyrical an...

For string quartet. Written for the Smith Quartet, the title refers to some of the many different meanings of the word 'catch' - fishing, tricks, rounds. The result is a twelve-minute piece played con...

For string quartet. Tendrils has been described as a 'masterly display of Skempton's utterly natural art. ' It is built out of continuous undulating lines that sustain their effect throughout, the imp...

The pairing of a slowish and a lively movement has long been attractive to composers, certainly since the days of pavanes and galliards. Skempton uses the contrast to great effect here, where if 'Rest...

For 2 euphoniums and 2 tubas. The pairing of a slowish and a lively movement has long been attractive to composers, certainly since the days of pavanes and galliards. Skempton uses the contrast to gre...

Six miniatures. 'Progressively laying out aspects of cello technique - double stopping, pizzicato, glacial harmonies - and then combining them, the work builds to a substantial fourth movement and the...

Written the year before the Six Figures, Arioso is a study in scalic and chordal figures, retaining Skempton's signature simplicity and repetitiveness throughout. Grail Transformation and Epiphany bri...

For solo cello. Written the year before the Six Figures, Arioso is a study in scalic and chordal figures, retaining Skempton's signature simplicity and repetitiveness throughout. Grail Transformation...

Six miniatures. 'Progressively laying out aspects of cello technique - double stopping, pizzicato, glacial harmonies - and then combining them, the work builds to a substantial fourth movement and the...

The piece is a suite of six contrasting miniatures built around fragments of melodies which are repeated, each time with subtle variations. Particularly striking is the simple, folk-like melody of the...

In this exuberant solo work, the principal idea is an arching melody that explores the full range of the instrument.

For solo tenor saxophone. In this exuberant solo work, the principal idea is an arching melody that explores the full range of the instrument.

Comprising four separate 'Lamentations', this work takes its text from John Donne's The Lamentations of Jeremy, and is set in Howard Skempton's characteristic pared-down style.

This beautiful, simple piece for mezzo soprano and piano sets part of Alexander McCall Smith's poem, Winter Poem. It was first performed at Clare Hall College, Cambridge on 8th December 2012.

Brave Guy of Warwick sets text from Lines written at Warwick by George Crabbe (1754-1832) which describes a portion of the legend of Guy of Warwick. This piece is engaging and characterful, and audien...

This beautiful, simple piece for mezzo soprano and piano sets part of Alexander McCall Smith's poem, Winter Poem. It was first performed at Clare Hall College, Cambridge on 8th December 2012.