I always wanted to compose music, but I allowed two
things to discourage me. One was that nobody played what I wrote,
so what was the point of writing it? Secondly, when I was in my
twenties, compositions had to be avant-garde to be acceptable, it
seemed, and as I did not feel comfortable writing grunts and
whistles, I felt that disqualified me. So I wrote virtually
nothing for thirty years.
A few years ago, I unexpectedly became a trustee for the Robin Milford Trust. Robin was elder brother to my aunt's husband. He has left around 180 works, which is remarkable, since at the time of writing (1920s to 1950s), his traditional style was mercilessly slated by the critics. However, he kept at it despite the discouragement, and now his music is being rescued from library vaults and revived. The moral of that is, never give up!
So I started writing again. In 2011 I set myself to write 250 pieces for piano over a ten year period in the hope that one of them might be a good one. I am currently up to number 140, ranging from easy to difficult, and from short up to twenty-two minutes. Fun! (It's going to be a busy two years, mind you...). Various other pieces have emerged along the way.
Thank you for your interest. David Pennant, Woking
2020. Scottish_Heather for Clarinet in Bb and piano. 
2020. Coco the
Clown for trumpet in Bb
and piano.
2020. Reaching Out for violin and piano.
2020. A short Jingle and also Glimpse of an English Garden in Lockdown, for descant recorder and harpsichord, for the Hesperi Ensemble. The Jingle starts their show on May 1st. Click here.
2020. Ticket Please for choir (SSAATBB).
2020. The
Lockdown Blues for choir
(SSAATBB).
2020. Stepping Out
for Bassoon and Piano. For Jonathan Burton.
2019. Life's Journey
for Viola and Piano.1. Kayaking , 2. White Water , 3. A Deep Pool . Written for Emma
Sheppard.
2018. Meandering for Violin and Piano. Grade four standard, commissioned by the London Music Press.
2016. Loss
for Cello and Piano , written for Dinah
Beamish.
2016. Solo Instrument plus piano (15 pieces), and piano duets (7).
2016. The Gurgling
Stream for the Concert Band at Fullbrook
School.
2016. A Day at the
Friary, for concert band, written for the Friary
Guildford Band. 1. Morning Coffee . 2. Feet up after Lunch . 3. Tea Dance (during a day out
shortly before Christmas for an elderly Colonel Bogey and his
wife, to celebrate his birthday).
2015. The Resurrection, a 35 minute sequel to Stainer's Crucifixion, for choir and organ. Stainer was my great grandfather. The first run-through was on Saturday April 18th 2015 at Knaphill, and the first public performance, following the Crucifixion, was by the Maidstone Choral Union on March 12th 2016. The next performance was at Paddock Wood in Kent on Saturday March 18th 2017.
2014. Wedding Celebration for our daughter's wedding..
1998. Fiddles May Safely Embark for advanced and beginner violins.
For my earlier compositions, click here. Most of them have never been performed. Never mind! That's why I am now mainly writing piano pieces - at least I can play them if nobody else wants to.