Allegro moderato
Lento
Allegro molto e agitato 

Pamela Harrison is a lesser-known English composer of the 20th Century. Born in Orpington, Greater London in 1915, Harrison produced many of her works during the Second World War. She studied at the Royal Northern College of Music under Australian pianist Arthur Benjamin, and regularly performed her own piano compositions as a student.  Her Clarinet Quintet (1956) was one of three pieces inspired by and written for her friend Jack Brymer, who was one of the most renowned clarinettists of the 20th Century. The opening Allegro Moderato begins in a jaunty manor, but quickly gives way to an unsettled feeling, in both the rhythm and the melody. The Lento movement is spacious and full of emotional intensity, with the clarinet line floating above a static string accompaniment. The final movement, the Allegro molto e agitato sees the return of the opening theme, riding a flurry of notes in the accompanying parts. Ensemble 360’s Robert Plane has championed Harrison’s music and was responsible for the world premiere recordings of her clarinet chamber pieces. 

© Nigel Simeone