The Concerto for Clarinet was written for Roderick Mackenzie Moore, principal clarinetist of the Clapham Orchestral Society, which Walthew conducted; Walthew married Moore’s daughter, Gertrude Frances Moore, in 1902, the same year in which he composed the concerto. I discovered the work in the late 1980s, in course of dissertation research, and the composer’s grandson, John Walthew (1940–2017), himself a clarinetist, very kindly sent me a copy of the manuscript for clarinet and piano. Walthew never orchestrated the work, so this edition presents its original version. Fortunately, the Concerto has recently been orchestrated by Alfie Pugh and recorded by Robert Plane and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Reawakened, Champs Hill Records, CHRCD160).
Movement 2 Sample
Movement 3 Sample
