Piano Works

Sonatas

I began writing my first, four movement Piano Sonata No.1 in 1986 as a student at the Birmingham School of Music (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire). It was this Sonata that John Ogdon was later to perform, and that led to my dedicating my first piano concerto to him -
 Piano Concerto No. 1 'in memoriam John Ogdon'.

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Wonderful Sonata! Wonderful Sonata!”
John Ogdon - after premiering the Waltz movement from Piano Sonata no.1

​Sonata No.2 (Spirits of Our Age II), was inspired by the painting 'Christ Carrying the Cross' - by Hieronimus Bosch. Various characters within the painting are musically described in the piece. The sonata introduces the percussive effect of striking the piano beneath the keyboard with the sustain pedal held to create a 'sonic boom'.

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Sonata No.3 is in four movements and is based on the play between major/minor tonalities

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​Sonata No.4 at eleven minutes long, is the shortest of the sonatas to date. It is in one through-composed movement and nods the head to Liszt, Prokofiev and Ravel. 

Sonata No.5 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 begins in a martial fashion with cluster chords played using both forearms. The second and third movements are somewhat shorter.

Sonata No.7 is a much lighter work than that makes 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. 

Piano Sonata No.4 - complete work (premiere)

Piano Sonata No.2 - Spirits of Our Age II

Christ Carrying the Cross by Hieronimus Bosch

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Ragged Time

Four rags for piano solo composed in deference to Scott Joplin

1. A Birthday Rag
2. Changeable Weather
3. A Jammy Rag
4. Bright and Breezy

Scott Joplin's wonderful Rags have been with me since childhood so he was first to mind when I began writing my own rags. Joplin himself had a very tough life though uncharacteristically he was published by a white American, something quite outrageous for the day.

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​Piano Sonatinas I-IX 
Intervallischen Suite

Ten More Suites
Une Petite Suite de Picardie
Five O'Clock Blues & Evening  Shadows
Various Variations

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Prelude for Anne Frank

Save Our Venusian Souls
Piano Studies Album
Preludes New Work
​Sakura - 'cherry blossoms'  New Work
Ex cathedra New Work written for Wellington Cathedral of St Paul's
Inner Reflection No.1
​Two Estampes

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CD recording of -
    Haflidi's Pictures
​piano soloist - Mark Tanner
Contains the premiere recording of
The Musical Box Suite 

"Film-like simplicity."
Colin MacIntyre (The Scotsman)

The Musical Box Suite

1. The Musical Box
2. The Little Ballerina Dance
3. The Singing Wood
4. The Many-Layered Russian Doll

Noel! Noel! 
A seasonal fun piece for
four pianists and one piano​

A joyful Christmas celebration for eight hands/one piano

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​Now that's what I call jazz! - my shortest work to date - it is meant to be performed tongue-in-cheek for a - very short encore!
​Endless Counterpoint
Homages
Five Gentle Studies for Right Hand
Hall of Mirrors - ten piano duets for beginners (Grades 1-3)
Sonata for two pianos - 'Hridayam'
Piano Concerto No. 1 - 'in memoriam John Ogdon'
Piano Concerto No. 2 - 'In the Flowers of the Sun'
​Movements in Time - 17 short pieces for the beginner pianist (approx Grade 1-3 standard)

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Orchestra