TRIO CONCEERT for Oboe (doubling Cor Anglais), Basson and Piano（2014）

Poulenc’s well-known Trio for oboe, bassoon and piano was the work that initially stimulated my interest in this composer. It is often performed at informal music college concerts, but I had heard that this relatively unusual combination of instruments meant that it was difficult to programme it with other works in a more formal concert setting. Jean Françaix also composed a trio for these instruments, but this is also a large-scale work in four movements. My motivation in composing this Trio Concert was the feeling that it would be nice to have a work for this particular instrumental combination in a single movement.
I had the opportunity to visit Scotland shortly before I began work on the piece. I encountered a large number of rabbits at one village in the course of my journey, and the rural landscape together with the sight of these rabbits made me think excitedly that I had entered the land of Peter Rabbit. It was this experience, the rural vista and the charm and frolics of imaginary rabbits that I attempted to portray in this piece.
The oboist is required to double on cor anglais, and I hope that the tonal contrast between the two instruments will enhance the attraction of the piece.
The work includes frequent changes of tempo and rests in several sections. Performers should emphasise these changes of scene and conjure up the image of the comical movements typical of rabbits.

I would be most happy if this work were to become a staple of the limited repertoire for this trio combination along with the earlier works by Francis Poulenc and Jean Françaix, and I hope too that more and more opportunity will arise in the future for concerts and performances featuring these instruments.