Programme Notes – Symphony No. 1 in C (2000)

Allegro molto
Andante cantabile (con moto)
Allegro molto e vivace
Allegro molto e vivace

For most composers the prospect of writing their first symphony is a daunting one. The thought of conceiving a large-scale work following the example of one of the great traditions in western music offers a challenge that many put off indefinitely, and others never attempt. I have ignored this colossal weight of expectancy and written a party piece, which, I think is appropriate as it was written for a fortieth birthday party. The mood is light and effervescent, appropriate for an accompaniment to champagne and strawberries on a summer evening. The structural and thematic model of the piece is that of a very famous Symphony no. 1 in C by a certain L. Van Beethoven. Towards the end of the fourth and final movement of this fifteen-minute work there are quotations from other famous symphonies in C. Your answers, on a postcard please, to…