Piano Works
Piano Sonatas I - XI began writing my first four movement Piano Sonata No.1 in 1986 as a student of the Birmingham School of Music, UK (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire). This was the Sonata that John Ogdon was later to perform and that led to my first piano concerto Piano Concerto No. 1
being dedicated - 'in memoriam John Ogdon'. Piano Sonata No.1 - duration 12:41 I - Presto II - Lament III - Lento e sostenuto IV - Waltz Wonderful Sonata! Wonderful Sonata!” Sonata No.2 (Spirits of Our Age II) - duration 20:00 in four movements was inspired by the Hieronimus Bosch painting 'Christ Carrying the Cross'. Characters within the painting are described musically in the piece. This sonata introduces the percussive effect of striking the piano beneath the keyboard with the sustain pedal held to create a 'sonic boom'. Sonata No.3 - duration 16:30 is also in four movements and is based on the play between major/minor tonalities.
Sonata No.4 - duration 11:00 is in one, through-composed movement, and nods the head to Liszt, Prokofiev and Ravel. (Video on YouTube) Sonata No.5 - duration 16:15 is in three movements and has 'jazzy' elements in the first; even though jazz is not a particular interest of mine (see - Now That's What I Call Jazz!). It also makes use of arpeggiated chords. Sonata No.6 - duration 12:30 begins in martial fashion with cluster chords played using both forearms. The second and third movements are short. Sonata No.7 - duration 7:17 is a light work that makes much use of repeated ostinati. In three movements. Sonata No.8 (Enceladus) in three movements, is so subtitled as there are many internal stresses and strains just like Saturn's moon after which it is named. Sonata No.9 is in four movements and begins with a very strong first subject based on the interval of the tritone. The sonata ends with variations on the hymn known as Old Hundredth. |
 Christ Carrying the Cross
- Hieronimus Bosch,
Piano Sonata No.2
Piano Sonata No.4 - complete work (premiere performance)
Colin Decio - piano |
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Sonata No. 10 - 'In A Black Wind The Cloister Bell Rings'
duration 18:00 in 5 movements Having completed nine piano sonatas I was feeling that it would take something for me to write another – and then along came the pandemic and the New Zealand government’s overreach. This was enough to inspire a new sonata – Sonata No.10. |
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Ragged Time features on DVD 1 Piano & Poetry 19 Suites -
"Film-like simplicity." ex cathedra - duration 4:51
to be performed in cathedrals with a large echo dedicated to Wellington Cathedral of St. Paul 
ex cathedra for piano solo
The Jews of Old Prague - duration 6:30 
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Endless Counterpoint - duration 7:45
Intervallischen Suite
Etudes 1-7 - duration 14:00
Five Gentle Studies for Right Hand Alone - duration 9:00 Now that's what I call jazz! - my shortest work to date to be performed tongue-in-cheek for a - very short encore! Piano Sonatinas I - XIV Prelude for Anne Frank - duration 3:00
Prelude for Anne Frank features on DVD 2 Piano & Poetry
 Sakura
Preludes Book 1
Preludes Book 2 Sakura - 'Cherry Blossoms' - duration 2:45 Inner Reflection No.1 - duration 4:30 Two Estampes - duration 11:00 
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YouTube video contains a selection of piano miniatures from - Movements in Time
(17 short pieces for the beginner pianist - approx. Grade 1-5 standard) interspersed with poetry* read by: Ingrid Prosser
William Blake
(from The Tempest) by Shakespeare
WB Yeats
Ingrid Prosser
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Hall of Mirrors
Ten little piano duets for the beginner pianist
Frustrated with the lack of music to assist in my piano teaching work I set about to compose some simple pieces that beginner pianists, Grade 1, could enjoy with their teacher. All of the pieces are in a five-finger position. Both primo and secondo parts are the same standard. So far they have proved very successful and have become essential teaching material.
Suitable for children Grade 1 (ABRSM).
(Special thanks to Vivien Jowet, Al Hannam and Robbie McElroy for help with the names)
Frustrated with the lack of music to assist in my piano teaching work I set about to compose some simple pieces that beginner pianists, Grade 1, could enjoy with their teacher. All of the pieces are in a five-finger position. Both primo and secondo parts are the same standard. So far they have proved very successful and have become essential teaching material.
Suitable for children Grade 1 (ABRSM).
(Special thanks to Vivien Jowet, Al Hannam and Robbie McElroy for help with the names)
Orchestra