This is a short piece original for clarinet and strings and, as the title suggests, it is based on the concept of a vocal aria, but without the contrasting middle section of true ternary form. I wanted to write for the strings in A minor (ending in the tonic major), so have used the A clarinet rather the Bb instrument. However, I have included a Bb clarinet part, as the transposition isn’t significantly too difficult. The dedication was to a good friend of mine, the leader of the Royal Marine Band based at HMS Raleigh, who would certainly do justice to the cantabile line of the melody!

More recently I have had the pleasure to meet (online, that is) Dejan Ucakar, a bassoonist and teacher from Slovenia.

Initially he asked me to provide a bassoon version of the clarinet part, which I have done, and where the extended range of the bassoon has offered greater potential.

I have also made this present version for Clarinet in Bb and Piano, but here I dropped the key a semitone, just to make the Bb clarinnetist’s life a tad easy, and to accommodate an alternative solo part for Alto Sax.

If you prefer to play in in the original key, but with Piano Reduction rather than strings, the respective piano reduction can be found at the Version for Bassoon or Clarinet & Strings.