Howard Skempton Catalogue

Howard Skempton 

Catalogue

Howard Skempton 

‘Howard’s music is elegant, British, civilised, with 

a touch of anarchy. I see him as a gentleman in a 

bowler hat, a briefcase - and sandals.’ —BBC Music 

Magazine 

‘I can’t wait to hear more of Skempton’s music. It’s 

quite refreshing.’ —American Record Guide 

‘The simple truth about this quietly miraculous 

piece is that it contrives to sound completely 

timeless: once heard, it’s music you’ve always 

heard.’ —Calum MacDonald (on Lento) 

Howard Skempton was born in Chester in 1947, and 

has worked as a composer, accordionist, and music 

publisher. He studied in London with Cornelius 

Cardew from 1967 which helped him to discover a 

musical language of great simplicity. Since then he has 

continued to write undeflected by compositional trends, 

producing a corpus of more than 300 works. 

His catalogue is as diverse as it is long, ranging from 

pieces for solo cello to the Concerto for Hurdy-Gurdy 

and Percussion, Concerto for Accordion and Oboe, 

and perhaps his best-known orchestral work, Lento, 

premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and later 

performed at the 2010 BBC Proms. Skempton has 

been awarded two British Composer Awards, and his 

Tendrils for string quartet was awarded the prize for ‘best 

chamber-scale composition’ by the Royal Philharmonic 

Society. 

Recent work includes a setting of Coleridge’s The Rime 

of the Ancient Mariner and also D H Lawrence’s Man 

and Bat—both written for baritone Roderick Williams 

and ensemble; a Piano Concerto for John Tilbury, 

commissioned by the BBC; and a new setting of Ave 

Maria for Nottingham Cathedral Choir. 

Many of Skempton’s compositions have been recorded, 

most recently Only the Sound Remains and The Rime of 

the Ancient Mariner, performed by BCMG on the NMC 

label, and recordings of his choral music by Paul Hillier’s 

choir Ars Nova Copenhagen. Both were released in 2017 

to great critical acclaim. 

† - Title made available individually from an anthology in digital format only. 

2

And there was war in heaven 

ATTBB solo voices unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193356085 

Skempton’s setting of text from the Book of Revelation is 

reflective and powerfully understated. 

5 minutes 

Ave Maria 

SATB unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193517752 

This simple, well-crafted motet is bright, optimistic, and 

compelling. Skempton employs artful homophony and 

sensitive word-setting, and the repetitions of the opening 

refrain build towards an effective central climax. 

4 minutes 

The Lord is my shepherd 


Vocal score 9780193527997 

Digital 9780193531581 

This contemplative setting of Psalm 23 presents the 

well-loved ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ text within a fourpart, 

homophonic texture. Hymn-like and lyrical, this 

unaccompanied composition is illustrative of Howard 

Skempton’s concise musical language. 

2 minutes 

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (The 

Edinburgh Service) 

Upper voices and organ 

Vocal score 9780193534186 

Written in his customary style of simplicity, the voices sing 

in unison over a pared-down organ accompaniment. 

6 minutes 

Missa Brevis 


Vocal score 9780193394834 

A Mass setting for unaccompanied chorus, written for the 

Exon Singers’ recording, The Cloths of Heaven. 

7 minutes 

Choral Leaflets Sacred 

Missa Sanctae Annae and Hoc 

Corpus 


Vocal score 9780193564213 

This short Missa brevis setting is perfect for choirs looking 

to bring a fresh soundworld to their worship. Each 

movement is distinct in character, but with an overall 

cohesiveness of harmonic language. A short communion 

introit, Hoc corpus, which is traditionally sung on Passion 

Sunday, follows the Mass setting. 

7.5 minutes 

Preces and Responses 


Vocal score 9780193517875 

Skempton’s setting of the Preces and Responses is simple, 

well-crafted, and harmonically rewarding, and is perfect for 

choirs seeking new material for the liturgy. 

5 minutes 

Rise up, my love 


Vocal score 9780193439252 

Digital 9780193525375 

This setting from the Song of Songs is a fine example of 

Skempton’s ability to distil and express the emotional 

essence of a text. Beautifully understated, with simple tonal 

language and refined harmony, this is an exquisite piece. 

10 minutes 

The Song of Songs 

TTBB unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193437210 

This stately setting for unaccompanied TTBB choir is of 

texts from ‘The Song of Solomon’. 

6 minutes 

Choral Leaflets/Octavos Sacred 

3

Choral Leaflets/Octavos Sacred 

Song’s Eternity 

SS unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193371811 

This reflective setting of John Clare’s poem evokes a soundworld 

unique to Skempton, with fluid changes of time 

signature and unusual harmonic inflections. 

3.5 minutes 

Third Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis 

ATB unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193395046 

Skempton’s Third Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis setting was 

written for Wells Cathedral and premiered in May 2012. The 

simplicity and purity of the setting is typical of Skempton’s 

style, ideal for lower voice choirs of all abilities. 

6 minutes 

Three Motets 


Vocal score 9780193360105 

These beautiful motets provide inspiring new repertoire 

for choirs. Locus iste is rhythmic and uplifting; Ave Virgo 

sanctissima is a gentle setting of a Spanish antiphon, full 

of sumptuous harmonies; and Beati quorum via contrasts 

calm, reflective passages with an eight-part quasi-refrain. 

7.5 minutes 

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul 

SATB and organ 

Vocal score 9780193377073 

In this gently uplifting setting of the opening of Psalm 

25, Skempton’s seamless homophony creates a reflective 

sound-world. With beautifully blended vocal parts, 

resonant harmonies, and a supportive organ line, this 

anthem will appeal to any choir looking for a poignant 

addition to their repertory. 

2.5 minutes 

The Wells Service 


Vocal score 9780193378483 

This is a serene and reflective setting of the Magnificat 

and Nunc Dimittis. With expansive harmonies and arching 

melodic lines, this accessible setting will appeal to any 

cathedral, chapel, or church choir looking for fresh service 

material. 

10 minutes 

4

Choral Leaflets/Octavos Secular 

The Bridge of Fire 


Vocal score 9780193468412 

‘The Bridge of Fire’, written in 1906, is the title poem of 

James Elroy Flecker’s first published volume. It is largely a 

vivid description of the many Gods of Heaven, the great 

and the good, the bad and the ugly. This setting deals only 

with the first and last of the poem’s six verses. 

10 minutes 

A Dream 


Vocal score 9780193356566 

In this beguiling setting of ‘A Dream’ from William Blake’s 

Songs of Innocence, Skempton weaves a gentle and 

chromatic melody through harmonies that are pure yet 

richly expressive. 

5 minutes 

Come away, come away death 


Digital † 9780193545656 

Skempton’s setting of one of the fool’s songs from 

Twelfth Night is poignant and sombre, featuring angular 

melodies and homophonic textures that clearly convey 

Shakespeare’s moving words. Originally published in the 

collection Shall I compare thee. 

2.5 minutes 

Expectancy 

SATB chamber choir and string quartet 

Vocal score 9780193361706 

Set of parts 9780193365469 

Set to text by John Drinkwater, this work is deceptively 

simple, making use of repetition and carefully placed 

harmonies which shift subtly to match the text. A beautiful 

and unusual setting which is a worthwhile addition to the 

choral repertoire. 

7 minutes 

Five Poems of Mary Webb 

SSA unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193359673 

This sombre setting of five poems is homophonic, giving 

the impression of a single vocal line. The very close 

harmony throughout conveys a sense of restraint and 

a longing to escape from the conflicts that Mary Webb 

experiences as a woman. 

9 minutes 

The Flight of Song 


Vocal score 9780193381520 

The optional opening section, for which there is a graphic 

score, is spoken to texts by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

and other esteemed poets and authors. The four sung 

movements that follow are conventionally notated 

and set to further texts by Longfellow, and they amply 

demonstrate the hallmarks of Skempton’s extraordinarily 

skilful choral writing. Subtle word painting and masterful 

use of harmony reinforce the rich imagery conveyed in the 

texts, weaving together a work of considerable beauty and 

power. 

10 minutes 

Four by the clock 


Vocal score 9780193439160 

Four by the Clock, which sets words by Longfellow, is a 

rich and brooding piece that although is quiet and slow 

throughout, fizzes with a barely contained energy and 

excitement for the ‘dawn that is to be’. 

3 minutes 

Four New Poems 

SA soloists, SA choir, and piano or orchestra 

Vocal score 9780193359925 

Vocal and instrumental scores on hire 9780193468429 

This work was composed for a competition entitled 

‘Composing for Kids’. It consists of settings of poems by 

school children. 

7 minutes 


5


Grown about by fragrant bushes 


Vocal score 9780193546400 

In Grown about by fragrant bushes, Skempton sets a 

poem by Robert Louis Stevenson using gentle, lilting 

melodies. The theme of loss is sensitively conveyed in a 

tonal language that is made more expressive through the 

use of chromaticism. The voices move homophonically 

throughout and changing time signatures aid the 

movement of the piece. 

3 minutes 

He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven 

SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193439153 

Skempton sets this famous love poem by Yeats with 

characteristic directness and warmth, and using rich 

and scrumptious sonorities. Magical shifts of harmony 

punctuate the otherwise simple tonal language. This is 

an uplifting secular and satisfying piece ideal for use in a 

wedding service or concert. 

5 minutes 

More sweet than my refrain 

S/A TB (with divisions) unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193522930 

Digital 9780193538368 

This is a tender miniature for three-part choir set to the text 

of a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

2 minutes 

Murallennium 

Spring all the Graces 

SATB and wind band 

picc, 2 fl, 2 ob, ca, Ebcl, 3 cl, alto cl, contra-alto cl, bcl, 2 

asx, tsx, barsx, 2 bn, 4 hn, 3 cor, 3 tbn, euph, tba, timp, 

db 


Commissioned by Warwick Arts Society, this work for 

choir and wind band sets text from Ben Jonson’s Neptune’s 

Triumph for the Return of Albion. 

10 minutes 

Music 


Vocal score 9780193448872 

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s secular text concerning music’s 

omnipresence (‘But in the darkest, meanest things there 

always something sings’) is set with arresting simplicity. 

3 minutes 

Orpheus with his lute 


Vocal score 9780193398658 

This is a simple and elegant miniature in characteristic 

Skempton style, with graceful choral homophony, 

seamlessly fluctuating time signatures, and hypnotic, 

meandering harmonies. The text, by William Shakespeare, 

is a homage to music. 

3.5 minutes 

Poems of Love and War 


Vocal score 9780193533547 

Digital 9780193535282 

Poems of Love and War sets a sequence of nine poems 

from ‘Viking Poetry of Love and War’ by Judith Jesch. The 

war poems are formal and celebratory, making vivid use 

of figures of speech known as ‘kennings’, while the love 

poems are more direct, and sometimes playful. Skempton’s 

imaginative settings bring these striking texts to life, 

artfully using metre to evoke the sound of spoken word. 

8 minutes 

Roundels of the Year 


Vocal score 9780193381537 

The text is a set of six poems by John Drinkwater (1882– 

1937). Drinkwater had close associations with Warwickshire 

and much of his poetry reveals his love of the countryside. 

The first and last of the six roundels serve as introduction 

and postscript. The central four describe the seasons, 

beginning with spring. 

9 minutes 

6

That Music Always Round Me 

SATB and piano or orchestra 

2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bn, 4 hn, 3 tpt, 3 tbn, tba, timp, str 

Vocal score 9780193359727 


Walt Whitman’s poetry abounds in references to music 

and song but nowhere more so than in ‘That Music Always 

Round Me’. Skempton’s captivating setting acknowledges 

the serenity and timelessness of these opening words and 

the pertinence of the complete text. 

7 minutes 

Two Poems of Edward Thomas 


Vocal score 9780193355811 

These two exquisite miniatures which demonstrate the 

composer’s distinctive ability to express the essence of 

a text in a beautifully understated fashion. He conveys a 

sense of pastoral timelessness while retaining his unique 

voice. These are delightful, very approachable pieces. 

3 minutes 

The Voice of the Spirits 


Vocal score 9780193432512 

The text is taken from Shelley’s epic poem Prometheus 

Unbound. Skempton sets passages in which a Chorus 

of Hours and a Chorus of Spirits celebrate in ecstatic 

language the unshackling of the human spirit through the 

enlightenment of science. Written in his customary style 

of great simplicity, Skempton’s hypnotic score beautifully 

captures the visionary lyricism of the poetry: long lyrical 

sections in two different keys distinguish the hopes and 

fears of the Hours and the Spirits, before they are united in 

song at the end of the piece. 

10 minutes 

We who with songs 

SATB and organ 

Vocal score 9780193432116 

A setting of typically deceptive simplicity: understated 

but poignant harmonies allow the colourful imagery of 

Flecker’s poem (The Golden Journey to Samarkand) to make 

its full impact on the listener’s imagination. 

4 minutes 


7

Choral Leaflets/Octavos Christmas 

Choral Leaflets/Octavos Christmas 

Adam lay y-bounden 


Vocal score 9780193432475 

Digital 9780193525337 

This simple setting of the popular Advent carol has 

originality and impact. The controlled, almost austere, 

style has a hypnotic effect. This is a poignant piece that 

confronts the mystery of Christ’s coming foretold in the 

words. 

3 minutes 

Into this world, this day did come 

SSA unaccompanied 

Digital † 9780193545854 

From the collection For Him all Stars, ‘Into this world, this 

day did come’ is a meditative carol by Howard Skempton, 

scored for SSA unaccompanied. Featuring a frequentlychanging 

time signature and lucid harmonies throughout, 

this beautiful piece creates an atmosphere of reverence 

and prayer. 

2 minutes 

It was a star 


Digital † 9780193547261 

From the collection Epiphany to All Saints for Choirs, this 

lively and spiritual-influenced piece features a constantly 

shifting time signature and a text by the composer 

narrating the journey of the three wise men. Scored 

for SATB unaccompanied, it is particularly suitable for 

performance at the feast of the Epiphany. 

2 minutes 

O Sapientia 


Vocal score 9780193400924 

O Sapientia is a tender setting of one of the seven Advent 

‘O’ Antiphons. The rhythmic unison in this chorale-like 

setting brings an element of purity and calm. 

1.5 minutes 

Rejoice, rejoice 


Digital † 9780193545649 

Originally published in The Ivy and the Holly, this lively 

setting of a text by Francis Kinwelmershe features a lilting 

melody and homophonic texture throughout, allowing the 

spirit of the text to shine through. 

2 minutes 

To Bethl’em they did go 


Vocal score 9780193432048 

This carol features atmospheric sections enclosing a jaunty 

central section with constantly changing time signatures 

underpinned by crotchet ‘dm’s in the male voices. 

2.5 minutes 

The virgin’s name was Mary 

Equal four-part voices, unaccompanied 

Vocal score 9780193365704 

This haunting carol comprises a sequence of three rounds. 

It demonstrates the distinctive clarity of Skempton’s 

musical language. It will particularly appeal to chamber 

choirs. 

3 minutes 

8

Ensemble & Orchestra 

Ballade for Saxophone Quartet and 

Strings 

Chamber orchestra 

Ssx, asx, tsx, bsx, str 

Conductor’s score and parts on hire 9780193588325 

The Chopin-esque title was suggested by the lyrical 

character of the opening tune. This contrasts with the 

chromatic, chorale-like material. 

20 minutes 

Ben Somewhen 

Ensemble 

Fl, cl, hp, vln, vla, 2 vc, db 


The title Ben Somewhen refers to a set of drawings by 

the brilliantly gifted and original, but equally reclusive, 

British artist, Ben Hartley (1933–96). The piece makes the 

double bass the bedrock of the ensemble in music that is 

intriguingly elusive . 

12 minutes 

Birthday Bundle 

Violin, viola, cello, bass, and piano 

Score and parts 9780193400962 

Written as a surprise present for the Schubert Ensemble in 

celebration of their 30th anniversary, this playful piece has 

light-hearted references to Stravinsky and Schumann, and 

can be enjoyed by both amateurs and professionals. 

2 minutes 

Catch 

String quartet 

Score 9780193588707 

Set of parts 9780193412576 

Written for the Smith Quartet, the title refers to some of the 

many different meanings of the word ‘catch’ – fishing, tricks, 

and rounds. The result is a twelve-minute piece played 

continuously and full of canonic writing and musical 

games. 

12 minutes 

Chamber Concerto 

Ensemble 

Fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, tpt, tbn, vib, pn, hp, 2 vln, vla, vc, db 


Chamber Concerto was commissioned by the 1995 Brighton 

Festival for Cambridge New Music Players and comprises of 

four independent movements. The second and third are, 

however, clearly related, and all four seem to be in dialogue 

with each other. 

7 minutes 

Chorales 

Full orchestra 

4 fl, 3 ob, 4 cl, 2 bn, 4 hn, 3 tpt, 3 tbn, tba, timp, tbell, 

hp, str 


Chorales was commissioned by the Merseyside Arts Trust 

for the Merseyside Youth Orchestra in 1982. It is a short 

work consisting of a series of short movements. The 

opening material is recycled twice, in the middle and at 

the end of the piece, and between these three ‘pillars’ lie 

shorter, lighter sections of varied character. 

6 minutes 

Clarinet Quintet 

Clarinet quintet 

Cl, 2 vln, vla, vc 


This work for clarinet and string quartet is in three 

movements: a subdued prelude, an airy interlude, and a 

bluesy postlude. 

10 minutes 

Concertante for Solo Violin and 

Strings 

Solo violin and string orchestra 


Concertante for Solo Violin and Strings was commissioned 

by the English Chamber Orchestra and Oxford University 

Press. Its three concise movements are lyrical in character, 

with the soloist ‘leading from the front’, a first among 

equals. 

11 minutes 


9


Concerto for Hurdy-Gurdy, 

Percussion, and Chamber 

Orchestra 

Solo hurdy-gurdy, solo percussion, and chamber 

orchestra 

Hurdy-gurdy solo, perc solo (SD, xylo, congas, guiro, 

mba), fl, 2 ob, 2 bn, 2 hn, timp (+guiro), str 


Howard Skempton composed his Hurdy-gurdy concerto 

in 1994 and this was the first time the Hurdy-gurdy had 

been used as a concerto instrument. Howard writes: ‘There 

were no precedents. This alarming/appealing sense of 

freedom was nicely counterbalanced by all the restrictions 

normally associated with a commission. The drone of the 

hurdy-gurdy may seem inhibiting but in practice it offers a 

challenge that fully engages the imagination’. 

19 minutes 

Concerto for Oboe, Accordion, and 

Strings 

Solo oboe, accordion, and string orchestra 

Ob solo, acc solo, str 


The combination of oboe and accordion is a happy one, 

and Skempton comments that he ‘opted for a flexible 

variation form rather than something more combative’. 

17 minutes 

Delicate 

Two cellos and percussion 

Score and parts on hire 9780193588400 

A chamber ballet for two cellos and percussion with 

spoken text by A. L. Kennedy whose powerful and acutely 

funny text played a central role and certainly stimulated 

many of the musical ideas. 

60 minutes 

Delicate Suite 

Two cellos and percussion 


This is a suite from existing ballet for two cellos and 

percussion. 

5 minutes 

Eternity’s Sunrise 

Chamber ensemble 

Fl, cl in A, hp, and string quartet 

Score 9780193588752 

Set of parts 9780193412583 

Sharing its scoring with Ravel’s Introduction and 

Allegro, Eternity’s Sunrise makes full use of the wealth of 

instrumental combinations available within this septet. The 

haunting, yet quirky theme around which the entire piece 

is based is likely to linger in the memory long after the 

music has finished. 

10 minutes 

Field Notes 

Oboe and string trio 

Score 9780193406117 

Set of parts 9780193513778 

Field Notes is a compact, one-movement piece of chamber 

music. The work is full of harmonic interest with chromatic 

and melodic passages shared equally between the parts. 

12 minutes 

Five Miniatures 

Ensemble 

Afl/fl/picc, ob/ca, cl/Ebcl/Acl/bcl, bsn, hn, tpt (in C), 

tbn, perc, single str 


One for the Road • Yes, yes, Annette • Deeply Shaded • 

Berkley Street • Pendulum 

10 minutes 

Five Nocturnes 

Solo guitar, two clarinets, viola, cello, and double 

bass 


Extending his repertoire for the guitar, Skempton this time 

introduces it into the realm of a chamber ensemble in the 

form of five miniatures. The mix of mellow timbres creates 

a soothing but thoughtful set of pieces. 

10 minutes 

Garland 

Oboe, violin, viola, and cello 


Garland demonstrates the composer’s typically thoughtful 

approach to form and melodic material, the title of this 

work reflecting the circularity of both. 

2 minutes 

10

Gemini Dances 

Ensemble 

Fl (+picc), cl, vln, vc, pn, perc (SD, spoons) 


10 minutes 

Gleams and Fragments 

Oboe, clarinet, viola, and harp 


The opening movement of this five-movement work 

features the oboe, being a setting of a solo piece written by 

the composer in memory of Barbara Hepworth. The second 

is a lyrical canon for oboe, clarinet, and viola; the third and 

fourth movements are formal and chorale-like; while the 

last is a sprightly, rather quirky march. 

8 minutes 

Gloss 

Oboe and vibraphone 

Score 9780193381513 

Gloss could be considered a companion piece to Random 

Girl (also for oboe and vibraphone), although it is 

rhythmically more formal and melodically more restrained. 

4 minutes 

Horizons 

Oboe and harp 

Set of parts 9780193588790 

This work is a suite of six contrasting miniatures built 

around fragments of melodies which are repeated, each 

time with subtle variations. Particularly striking is the 

simple, folk-like melody of the fifth movement and the 

dissonant, almost grotesque march that precedes it. 

6 minutes 

Hot Noon in Malabar 

Soprano, violin, cello, and piano 


Skempton sets words by Kamala Das, who was born in 

Malabar in 1934 and is one of India’s most distinguished 

poets. The setting evokes the suppleness and richness of 

Indian music. 

3 minutes 

Into my heart an air that kills 

Voice and piano quintet 

Pn, 2 vln, vla, vc 


Into my heart an air that kills was commissioned by The 

Housman Society to celebrate the centenary of The 

Shropshire Lad. The instrumentation is the same as that of 

the Vaughan Williams cycle, On Wenlock Edge. 

4 minutes 

La gora di mulino 

Piano quartet 

Vln, vla, cello, pno 


La gora di mulino was commissioned for Chamber Music 

2000. The Chamber Music 2000 works were designed to 

be technically easy, but still retain the composers own 

individuality and musical style. La gora di mulino means 

‘the mill-pond’ and the mood of the piece is appropriately 

ruminative. The middle string part may be played by a 

second violin or a viola. 

2 minutes 

Lento 

Orchestra 

3 fl, 3 ob, ca, 3 cl, 3 bn, cbn, 4 hn, 3 tpt, 3 tbn, tba, 

timp, str 

Full score 9780193676503 


Lento is monolithic; major and minor triads generate a 

sequence of processionals. The tempo is more or less 

constant. It uses the same orchestral forces as Wagner’s 

prelude to Parsifal, though deployment is radically 

different. Most of Lento is scored for strings only. A central 

episode turns the spotlight on the trombones and the 

bassoons. Otherwise, woodwind, brass, and timpani 

serve primarily to lend weight to restatements of the two 

principal subjects. 

13 minutes 

Lido 

Recorder ensemble 

2 descant, 2 treble, 2 tenor, bass, great bass and 

contrabass recorders 

Score 9780193381544 

Written for the Birmingham Schools’ Recorder Sinfonia, 

this engaging work is suitable for amateur performers. The 

mixed compound time signatures introduce some learning 

opportunities, while the melodic lines remain accessible. 

The contrabass recorder part is optional, making this a 

versatile work. All players read from the performing score, 

so a number of copies would be needed for performance. 

3 minutes 


11


The Light Fantastic 

Chamber orchestra 

Fl, 2 ob, 2 bn, 2 hn, str 


12 minutes 

Lullaby 

Clarinet and cello 

Score 9780193588363 

A gently moving cello line, reminiscent of J. S. Bach, 

provides the basis for a contemplative clarinet melody. 

4 minutes 

Man and Bat 

Baritone, string quartet, double bass, and piano 


Commissioned by Maurice and Sheila Millward, Man and 

Bat is a large-scale work for baritone, string quartet, double 

bass, and piano. Skempton’s music perfectly reflects the 

rich, varied, and at times frenetic narrative of the text, a 

poem by D.H. Lawrence, with voice and instruments alike 

contributing to the characterization. The first performance 

was given by Roderick Williams and Ensemble 360 at a 

Music in the Round concert on 20 July 2017 in Upper 

Chapel, Sheffield. 

30 minutes 

The Moon is Flashing 

Tenor soloist and full orchestra or chamber 

ensemble 

2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bn, 4 hn, 2 tpt, 3 tbn, tba, timp, perc 

(vibr, mba), str 

Chamber: tenor, cl, vln, vc and pno 

Full score - chamber version 9780193530126 

Set of parts - chamber version 9780193530133 

Scores on hire - orchestral version 9780193359758 

The work consists of settings of three poems with quite 

different characters. The title poem is a short valentine by 

Skempton himself. ‘A Day in Three Wipes’ by Chris Newman 

is a modern lyrical ballad of great honesty and clarity. The 

third song is ‘Snake’ by D.H. Lawrence. 

20 minutes 

Moving On 


Score 9780193417175 

Set of parts 9780193513228 

Moving On is a single movement work for string quartet. 

Skempton masterfully combines classical string quartet 

textures with luxuriant harmonies and a fluid tonality, 

resulting in an appealing modern addition to the genre. 

9 minutes 

Only the Sound Remains 

Viola solo and ensemble 

Solo viola, fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, tpt, tbn, perc (vib, glock, 

mba), hp, guitar, pn, 2 vln, vc, db 


Only the Sound Remains is a large-scale elegiac work based 

on poem by Edward Thomas, The Mill-Water. The poet 

focusses his attention on the sad loss of rural industry. The 

music begins in an equally ruminative way and follows a 

path as circular as the imagined mill-wheel in the poem. 

31 minutes 

Piano Concerto 

Piano solo and orchestra or chamber ensemble 

Orchestra: 2 fl (II+picc), 2 ob, 2 bn, 2 hn, 2 tpt, 3 tbn, 

solo pno, str 

Chamber: pno, 2 vln, vla, vcl 

Full score - chamber version 9780193530102 

Set of parts - chamber version 9780193530119 


The work consists of five short movements, each exploring 

dissonance in a different way. 

14 minutes 

Piazza 

Ensemble 

Fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, tpt, tbn, vib, pn, str 


A work for fourteen players commissioned for the 10th 

anniversary of the 10/10 Ensemble, the contemporary 

music group of the RLPO. 

10 minutes 

12

Plain Sailing 

Piano duet 

Score 9780193363229 

Beautifully crafted, this short work for four hands conjures 

up precisely the imagery the title suggests. Calm, lilting, 

melodic, but requiring technical skill, it is a welcome 

addition to the piano duet repertoire. 

2 minutes 

Prelude for Orchestra 

Full orchestra 

3 fl, 3 ob, 3 cl, 4 hn, 2 tpt, 2 tbn, timp, str 


8 minutes 

Random Girl 

Vibraphone and oboe 

Score 9780193588776 

Random Girl is a short, lyrical piece highlighting the 

melodic aspect of the vibraphone which engages in 

sinuous dialogue with the oboe. 

3 minutes 

Rest and Recreation 

Two euphoniums and two tubas 


The pairing of a slowish and a lively movement has long 

been attractive to composers, certainly since the days of 

pavanes and galliards. Skempton uses the contrast to great 

effect here, where if ‘Rest’ is a lullaby, ‘Recreation’ could be 

described as rousing. 

3 minutes 

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner 

Baritone and chamber ensemble 

Baritone solo, hn, pno, 5 str 


35 minutes 

Sarabande for String Orchestra 

Eleven solo strings 

2 x vln I, 2 x vln II, 2 x vln III, 2 x vla, 2 x vc, 1 x db 


Sarabande, a study in major sevenths, is rigorously 

chromatic. The process of overlapping and separation is 

irregular and dramatic. 

10 minutes 

Shiftwork/Sleigh Ride 

Percussion quartet 

4 perc (3-4 sleigh bells, 2 metal thimbles, 4 small 

pottery bowl, 4 sets of ceramic baking beans, 2 

marac) 


Written for Ensemble Bash, this work shifts and pulsates in 

rhythm and texture. 

5 minutes 

Slip-stream 

Percussion ensemble (four players) 


Slip-stream was composed for Ensemble Bash. The 

vibraphone is the protagonist, opening the work with 

a melodic idea which serves as a refrain. Elsewhere, the 

glockenspiel and vibraphone are held together in a ghostly 

dance to the accompaniment of the gentle wash of three 

suspended cymbals. 

4 minutes 

Sotto Voce 

Piano trio 


Sotto Voce consists of an intriguing interplay of isolated 

notes for the three instruments, with a good deal of 

pizzicato in the strings. 

3 minutes 

Tendrils 


Score 9780193588806 

Set of parts 9780193412590 

Tendrils has been described as a ‘masterly display of 

Skempton’s utterly natural art’. It is built out of continuous 

undulating lines that sustain their effect throughout, the 

impulse being lyrical and experimental. 

20 minutes 


13


Winter: My Secret 

Soprano, treble recorder, cello, and harpsichord 


Winter: My Secret is a setting for soprano, recorder, cello, 

and harpsichord of a poem by Christina Rossetti. It was 

commissioned by the Ida Carroll Trust for a concert to mark 

the 80th birthday of Honor Sheppard, and Alfred Deller’s 

centenary year. 

4.5 minutes 

Winter sunrise 

Violin, viola, andcello 


This piece owes its title and much of its elegiac but 

optimistic character to a poem by Mary Webb. Webb’s 

fine lyric verse is echoed in the song-like directness and 

simplicity of form captured in this single movement work. 

8 minutes 

The Witches’ Wood 

Chamber ensemble 

Op, fl, cl (Bb), vln, vc, pno 


A chromatic but bare setting of a poem by Mary Elizabeth 

Coleridge, a descendant of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Its 

sparse texture reflects the eerie, haunting atmosphere 

created by the evocative imagery of the poetry. 

2 minutes 

14

Solo Voice 

Brave Guy of Warwick 

Mezzo-soprano and piano 

Vocal score 9780193394025 

Brave Guy of Warwick sets text from Lines written at Warwick 

by George Crabbe (1754–1832) which describes a portion 

of the legend of Guy of Warwick. This piece is engaging 

and characterful, and audiences are bound to be charmed 

by both the music and the story. 

9 minutes 

Solo Voice 

Emerson Songs 

Soprano and baritone 

Score 9780193457911 

The first two of these four songs are for solo baritone. 

The third song, ‘Pan’, is written for both soloists, with the 

melody passing back and forth between the singers. 

Xenophanes is also written for both soloists singing an 

octave and a third apart. 

10 minutes 

Lamentations 

Bass and theorbo 

Score 9780193363809 

Comprising 4 separate ‘Lamentations’, this work for bass 

voice and theorbo takes its text from John Donne’s The 

Lamentations of Jeremy, and is set in Howard Skempton’s 

characteristic pared-down style. 

15 minutes 

Winter Poem 

Mezzo soprano and piano 

Vocal score 9780193392939 

This beautiful, simple piece for mezzo soprano and piano 

sets part of Alexander McCall Smith’s poem, Winter Poem. 

It was first performed at Clare Hall College, Cambridge on 

8th December 2012. 

4 minutes 

15

Solo Instrumental 


24 Preludes and Fugues 

Piano solo 

Score 9780193544178 

Digital 9780193544635 

Featuring sparse textures, quirky endings, and intuitive 

phrasing, these 24 Preludes and Fugues, in all the keys, 

bear the hallmarks of Skempton’s Minimalist style. This set 

is well-suited for performance but also for pianists wishing 

to practise polyphonic textures and single-hand exercises. 

22 minutes 

Affirmation 

Solo organ 

Score 9780193551329 

In this organ voluntary, Skempton has crafted a wash of 

melting lines using his distinctive harmonic language. 

Affirmation expands from a singular note into undulating 

four- and five-part textures. This, combined with its molto 

largo tempo, instils a reflective mood. 

5 minutes 

Arioso/Grail Transformation 

and Epiphany 

Cello solo 

Score 9780193359765 

Written the year before the Six Figures, Arioso is a study 

in scalic and chordal figures, retaining Skempton’s 

signature simplicity and repetitiveness throughout. Grail 

Transformation and Epiphany bring with them a more 

chromatic treatment to similar motifs. 

5 minutes 

Collected Piano Pieces 

Piano solo 

Score 9780193736948 

Fifty-five short pieces, the earliest of which dates from 

1967, the most recent from 1993. Taken as a whole, this 

selection of pieces (chosen by the composer) provides 

a rich overview of the keyboard music of one of Britain’s 

most original and fascinating composers. 

Five Preludes for guitar 

Guitar solo 

Score 9780193588295 

These Five Preludes were commissioned by the 

International Guitar Festival at Bath Spa University College 

with the financial assistance of South West Arts and Keller 

S.A. It has been recorded by Tom Kerstens on the album 

Black Venus (BGS113). 

5.5 minutes 

Images 

Piano solo 

Score 9780193736986 

These twenty easy piano pieces were written to 

accompany a television programme which celebrated 150 

years of photography. The volume contains eight preludes, 

two songs, a set of variations, eight interludes, and a 

postlude. 

34 minutes 

Nature’s Fire 

Solo organ 

Vocal score 9780193534865 

Digital 9780193544567 

Skempton is admired for his concise musical language, 

and Nature’s Fire is illustrative of his style, deploying its 

base material with great deftness to achieve a musically 

effective soundscape. The piece was written in 1994 

to commemorate the tercentenary of the Great Fire of 

Warwick, and is dedicated to the organist Kevin Bowyer. 

5 minutes 

Nocturnes and Reflections 

Piano solo 

Score 9780193736979 

This is a collection of thirty-six piano pieces dating from 

1995 to 2002. At times enigmatic, at others direct, the 

writing captures and reflects a myriad of moods, revealing 

Skempton’s highly original voice. Although most of the 

pieces were composed for seasoned performers, they 

are suitable for any pianist seeking worthwhile and 

imaginative contemporary repertoire. 

16

Notti stellate a Vagli 

Piano solo 

Score 9780193366022 

Commissioned by the Atopos Fondazione in Italy, this 

piece was premiered by John Tilbury on 10 June 2008. A 

homage to Morton Feldman and a companion piece to his 

Triadic Memories, Skempton’s Notti stellate a Vagli conjures 

up images of Tuscany, through its, in the composer’s words, 

‘nocturnal tone and stellar texture’. 

18 minutes 

Off Limits 

Tenor saxophone solo 

Score 9780193588561 

In this exuberant solo work, the principal idea is an arching 

melody that explores the full range of the instrument. 

10 minutes 

Par la bande 

Lute solo 

Score 9780193588714 

This piece is based on the opening bars of the Sarabande 

from Bach’s second cello suite in D minor. ‘Par la bande’ 

means ‘in a roundabout way’ and suggests a circularity of 

form and a less than direct approach to the original theme. 

4 minutes 

Six Figures for solo cello 

Cello solo 

Score 9780193588813 

‘Progressively laying out aspects of cello technique— 

double stopping, pizzicato, glacial harmonies—and then 

combining them, the work builds to a substantial fourth 

movement and then falls away.’(Birmingham Post review) 

7 minutes 

Solitary Highland Song 

Piano Solo 

Score 9780193530157 

This evocative miniature is simple but rewarding, with 

a repeating eight-bar chord progression that produces 

a kaleidoscopic quality. The clear harmonic language 

and gentle build towards the central section create a 

peaceful and meditative atmosphere, as though for solitary 

reflection. 

3.5 minutes 

Three pieces for guitar solo 

Guitar solo 

Score 9780193588684 

These three pieces serve as companion pieces to 

Reminiscence (2001) and Beguine (2002). ‘Flight of Fancy’ 

takes its cue from Beguine; ‘A Piece of the Action’ has the 

pace and character of a relaxed march; and ‘Tailpiece’ 

rounds off the set with a continuous flow of undulating 

melody. 

4 minutes 

Whispers 

Piano solo 

Score 9780193359666 

This quiet and spacious miniature challenges the 

performer’s ability to play within the lowest dynamic range 

of the piano. The gently sonorous opening bars return 

after a lightly animated central section. The change of pace 

reflects the fact that whispering can be either tender or 

moderately urgent. 

4 minutes 


Six Songs for Guitar 

Guitar solo 

Score 9780193511880 

Six miniatures for guitar, these instrumental ‘songs’ were 

a set work for the final of the London International Guitar 

Competition 2015. With lilting rhythms and simple lines, 

these folk-like pieces encapsulate the composer’s style and 

will appeal to guitarists of all backgrounds. 

3 minutes 

17

For more information about any of the titles featured, please contact: 

Email: music.enquiry.uk@oup.com 

OUP Music Orders (UK) 

Tel: +44 (0)1536 452630 

Email: music.orders.uk@oup.com 

OUP Hire Library (UK) 

Email: ukhire@boosey.com 

US Rental Library 

Email: usrental@boosey.com 

US Sales 

Tel: (800) 451-7556 

Email: orders.cary@oup.com 

Customer Service Inquiries: Cary.Music@oup.com 

- OUP Archive Suppliers - 

For archive choral, keyboard and solo voice scores: 

Banks Music Publications 

Tel: +44 (0) 1653 628545 

Email: info@banksmusicpublications.co.uk 

Website: www.banksmusicpublications.co.uk 

For archive strings, woodwind, brass, chamber 

ensemble and full/ study scores: 

June Emerson Wind Music 

Tel: +44 (0) 1439 788324 

Email: sales@juneemersonwindmusic.com 

Website: www.juneemersonwindmusic.com 

Follow Oxford Choral 

@OUPMusic 

OUP catalogues and scores can be found at: 

www.yumpu.com/kiosk/OxfordMusic 

For more information please visit our website: 

www.oup.com/sheetmusic 

OUP promotional recordings are available to hear via digital platforms including:

Howard Skempton Catalogue

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?