Description

Instrumentation: Bb Clarinet, Piano

This piece was written to be played by the young lady who, unbeknown to me at the time, would later become my wife. We have been happily married since 1988.

The piece sets out to exploit the different ranges of the clarinet and its ability to play in a singing, legato style and to play quick, tongued passages. It opens with a very gentle and sustained passage, where phrases should be shaped to follow the contours of the melody. There are two ad lib. sections where generous rubato should be used. The central quicker section is for a display of the player’s and the instrument’s musical agility: enjoy!

Below is an email I received from a euphonium player who accessed this music and was able to play it on a brass instrument. He subsequently sent me a recording of his performance of it at a concert, a recording I still have.

“Song for Janet has become one of my favourite pieces. Beautifully written, the contrasting sections add so much to the atmosphere of this music.

I hope to perform this on euphonium & piano in my next recital.

C****** B*******,

Euphonium, BBC Winds, London”