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SERENADE FOR WIND OCTET op.419 (October 1990)
A concert work in 3 movements
Published by: Highbridge Music LtdCommissioned by: Seaton Festival
Instrumentation: 2ob,2cl,2hn,2bn
[Key to Abbreviations]
Duration: 15 mins
First Performance: The Camerata Soloists, Seaton Music Club 13.12.1990
Sheet Music Available
Full score for saleInstrumental parts for sale
Movements
-
1:
Grazioso
6 minutes
30 seconds
-
2:
Serioso (come una marcia lente)
4 minutes
30 seconds
-
3:
Molto Vivace, Capriccioso
3 minutes
40 seconds
Notes
Composer's note: The clarinettist Janet Hilton requested I should write a woodwind octet and this work was expressly composed for her own group 'The Camerata Soloists'.
Number 19 of the collection 'Lifecycle' is a transcription of the second movement for piano.
Performances
| 1st June 2013 | Sir Neville Marriner,conductor,The Orchestra of the Academy of St.Martin in the Fields,soloists: Gustavo Nunez, Jaime Martin and Andrew Marriner. Wind Octet for soloists within the orchestra.,
Premiere recordings took place September 24-26 2012 of some of Howard's works for woodwind with the Orchestra of The Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields. Clarinet Concerto perf. by Andrew Marriner with revisions previously unincorporated; Bassoon Concerto perf. by Gustavo Nunez (principal Concertgebouw Amsterdam); Flute Concerto perf. by Jaime Martin; Serenade for Wind Octet perf. by soloists from the orchestra. Conductor Sir Neville Marriner. Music producer Andrew Keener, location sound engineering Erdo Groot and Roger de Schot from Polyhymnia, supervising producer Job Maarse for Pentatone. Editing Baarn Netherlands December 2012, release scheduled for May/June 2013 |
| 3rd August 2011 | Manchester Camerata Ensemble, Lake District Summer Music, Lakes Hall, Troutbeck Bridge, LA23 1HW,
Programme Howard Blake: Serenade for Wind Octet | Beethoven: Octet in E flat, Op 103 | Mozart: Serenade in E flat (K375) | Dvořák: Serenade in D minor, Op 44 (B 77) for wind instruments | |
| 13th March 2007 | Janet Hilton directs RCM Woodwind Ensemble, Bishopsgate Institute, lunchtime concert series (with works by Malcolm Arnold and Jonathan Dove) |
| 1st November 2006 | Michael O'Donnell, Bryony Middleton (ob) Kimon Perry, Andrew Stainer(cl) Andrew Watson, Cory Barger(fg), Sam Pearce, Andrew Weber(hn)directed by Janet Hilton, 49 Queen's Gate Terrace, London |
| 26th March 1994 | Camerata Wind Soloists, Nicholas Yonge Society, Lewes Tertiary College |
| 15th December 1990 | Camerata Soloists, Seaton Music Club |
Reviews
...I am adding a few more works, mainly from England, that I have heard or often conducted and can recommend warmly Three works in particular I would like to mention. The first is the beautiful Richard Rodney Bennett Reflections on a 16th Century Tune (Novello), seamlessly re-scored by a master-craftsman from his original string orchestra version for double wind quintet with piccolo, cor, bass clarinet and contra bassoon. Another charming work for double quintet is Guy Woolfenden's Serenade for Sophie (Ariel), while for octet one of my favorite pieces is the Howard Blake Serenade.
TIM REYNISH, DIRECTED CHAMBER MUSIC, 17/8/2004