This was originally titled A Simple Andante, and written for solo guitar. It is dedicated to guitarist, Alison Smith, who premiered the work at her recital in Plymouth in April, 2002. It does need, however, an excellent guitar technique, and as such cannot be described as ’simple’. On hearing her perform it so successfully, I feel that our idea to rename it Autumn Embers very much captured the nostalgic sentiments expressed.

I have already been asked to arrange it for piano solo, as well as produce a version for small orchestra. A short while back, I received a very nice email from Alison McCree, secretary of the Dunbartonshire Concert Band, from the Greater Glasgow Area of Scotland, to say how much she liked this particular piece of music.
A musical colleague, Clive Jenkins, recently asked me if he could include Autumn Embers in a special concert at Plymouth Museum in October 2010, as he has already recorded the piano solo version on his CD of local composers’ piano music.

As he will have another colleague of mine with him, clarinetist, Douglas Clarkson (see photo), Clive thought it would be nice if I could provide a version for clarinet and piano.

Whilst I have largely used the oboe & piano version as a guide, I have made some small changes along the way and, because Douglas will have a Clarinet in A, I have kept to the original A major key for their version.

However, for those who have only a Bb instrument, the version here has been transposed to Bb major, and written for the regular Bb instrument.

If, though, you would prefer to play the version in A, using an A clarinet, then a separate part for A clarinet is attached, as well as the transposed piano part.