Cello Concerto

I’ve been promising my brother a cello concerto for many years now. When I became composer in association with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, an orchestra with which we both have had long relationships, the concerto seemed to be the obvious piece to write first.

Paul’s wonderfully expressive, and deeply musical cello playing has been at the front of my mind while writing the piece. Perhaps this explains why the two outer movements are largely slow, with the lyrical qualities of the cello to the fore; although the central movement is, for the most part, a mercurial scherzo. Huw Watkins