Peter Maxwell Davies’ Swinton Jig was inspired by his youth spent in Salford. These variations on a traditional melody portray the community spirit during wartime and the impromptu concerts and dances held within the airshelters. The instrumentation reflects this with banjos bells bones and horns and even an out of tune upright piano! This work was commissioned by the BBC and first performed…

Point de départ est une collection de quatre morceaux écrits pour le Club de violon de Sanday. Tout d'abord réalisés dans leur intégralité en 2006 au St Magnus Festival, les noms de la musique sont des noms de lieux sur les îles Orcades. Evocateur et sans prétention, le caractère attrayant et la souplesse de ces oeuvres reflète leur genèse. Ils sont adaptés à des fins diverses et peuvent être joué…

The choral setting of a traditional Christmas carol by J. Geddes Maxwell for mixed voices. A Piano accompaniment is provided for rehearsal purposes.

Inspiré par la rencontre du compositeur avec le 'pievi' - églises rurales médiévales au début - Toscane et en particulier leurs sculptures de Pierre insaisissables et énigmatiques, Sonate pour violoncelle de Sir Peter Maxwell Davies a été écrit en même temps que sa récente Sonate de violon, inspiré d'un autre italien qui parcelles d'un voyage à travers de Rome. La Sonate pour violoncelle est basé …

The set of parts for Maxwell Davies's Naxos Quartet Six for strings. This work was commissioned by the Naxos Recording Company and is the sixth in a series of ten quartets. It was first performed on 26th April 2005 at the PurcellRoom London by the Maggini Quartet.

Peter Maxwell Davies' 1990 work for unaccompanied SATB choir written for the BBC singers. Words by George Mackay Brown.'Written for the BBC Singers this piece requires a high level of choral expertise in its rhythms intricate textures (though nearly always in four parts) wide-ranging vocal lines and characteristically dark but luminous harmony impregnated with tritones and seconds. Not for the…

Commissioned by the Nash Ensemble in 2014, String Quintet is one of Maxwell Davies' last works. This intense chamber work is filled with his characteristic harmonies which give the melody and harmony it's ambiguous, continually searching quality. The work is constructed through the gradual accretion of instruments, harmonic richness and ever increasing height and depth in texture. / Quatuor De Cor…

Commissioned to write a piece for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Davies provided a musical General Assembly of his own: a bright overture based on an Australian aboriginal song which gives rise to 'national anthems'of various kinds and instrumental colourings. Finally the 'anthems' are combined 'if not triumphantly' Davies says 'at least in a manner whereby they get along together'…

This work commemorates the 50th anniversary of the untimely death of the brilliant Horn player Dennis Brain. The solo version is intended for instrumentalists of Grade 6 and above.Peter Maxwell Davies is among the most prolific iconoclastic versatile and energetic of contemporary British composers. Among the best known of his many works are Eight Songs for a Mad King The Lighthouse chamber ope…