Seven Miniatures: Keyboard Manual

Seven Miniatures: And Peas

Seven Miniatures: Postcard Compositions

First performed by John Tilbury in the New English Music Concerts Purcell Room, RFH London, 1971 Seven Miniatures is a set of largely theatrical pieces of very short duration usually based on visual cues supplied in the score (e.g. a piece made up of a succession of characteristic attitudes of celebrated pianists).

Defence of the Realm is conventionally notated and consists of repetitions of a composed motif between which are sandwiched chords taken from epochs of British musical history from Byrd to Birtwistle via Elgar etc. The mood, as marked on the score, is 'dogged'.

This recording of Defence of the Realm is performed by Andrew Ball and appears on the album Six of Hearts (Largo 1992).