In setting out to write a Piano Concerto, I was aware of the large number of concertos written for this medium, many of them great masterpieces from Mozart to Bartók and beyond. I had to ask ‘Can I justify producing another in such a long and distinguished canon’. I had been commissioned to write this Concerto by Professor Nancy Lee Harper who has already recorded my piano solo music, and she suggested that the orchestration could be just strings or strings with percussion.

This immediately triggered my idea for the concerto, but I added 5 woodwind, including saxophone, to strings, 3 percussionists, timpani, harp and celesta. I also decided on 4 movements: Maestoso – Con Anima; Allegro; Quasi Scherzo; Semplice and Presto. I feel that this orchestration and format is a significant departure from the traditional concept. The total duration of the Concerto is between 22 and 23 minutes.

Although the overall form hints at conventional forms, it deviates from convention in a number of ways. The first movement starts with a slow introduction, followed by the main movement in moderate tempo consisting of two themes. This suggests a hint of sonata form, but the two main themes show some connection with the slow introduction and are continuously varied and developed, with only a minor recapitulation of some of the material. This movement then finishes with a varied version of the opening introduction, expressed more grandly.

The second movement is a Scherzo and the strings are omitted throughout. Much of this movement is a dialogue between percussion and piano with occasional interjections from woodwind. The main ‘themes’ are thus rhythmic in nature with the piano being treated more percussively. After a short cadenza for the piano, the woodwind take up the rhythms and then, with the other instruments, finish the movement with a flourish.

The third movement is slow and marked ‘Semplice’, to be played simply. There is only one theme, stated at the beginning by violin solo and varied slightly with each repetition. The piano adds a light accompaniment. The music builds up and the piano majestically adds a variation of the main theme, with harp and vibraphone, then the strings take over. Piano tremolos emerge and the woodwind are heard for the first time, with a flute and clarinet stating a variant of the theme. Quiet string tremolos follow with fragments of the theme suggested on celesta and piano. After a grand statement on piano, the music subsides, and then the tenor saxophone states the theme quietly in canon with bass clarinet. The other woodwind rise to the end, whilst the piano drifts into the background along with celesta and glockenspiel.

The final movement is predominantly presto, very fast. There are two main subjects with direct references to the previous movements, each subject being introduced by a piano cadenza. After a ‘tentative’ introduction, the rhythm of the first subject is taken from the Scherzo. After this theme is stated by vibraphone, then strings – with scales from the piano – a subsidiary theme is introduced by the piano, followed by an inversion on woodwind alternating with piano. The celesta then returns to the main theme, followed by piano. After a quite interlude suggesting the opening to the first movement, the piano announces the second main subject as a solo cadenza. This is then treated by strings and other instruments. Next there comes a duet between harp and celesta with descending chords after which the piano introduces a repetition of the second part of the first subject. Then the main theme at the start of this movement is repeated with slightly different orchestration, building to a climax. Here, the theme of the slow movement is stated grandly which, when it subsides, the coda ensues. This coda is an orchestration and expansion of the last part of the second piano cadenza and ends the Concerto, like the Scherzo movement, with a joyful flourish.

The Concerto is subtitled ‘Spirit of Truth’, which comes from a quote from the Gospel according to John 16: 12-14, where Christ prophesies His return, and this quote prefaces the score. The music generally expresses the joy of His return and contemplates the sublime spiritual message that He brings.