Charles Fullbrook playing percussion on

A few years ago I was asked to play in a concert with the Fibonacci Sequence that featured a work by Cecilia McDowall.

The work, 'Inferno' was for a most unusual combination: counter tenor, trumpet and percussion. The piece was drammatic and powerful and the writing was superbly crafted for the instruments. I was so impressed with Cecilia's work that I asked if she would write a piece for trumpet and strings for me to play with the London Mozart Players. Fortunately she agreed and 'Seraphim' was premiered in Chiswick, London in 1999. The premiere of the revised version was given on 27th August, 2002 at the Presteigne Festival Orchestra in St Andrew’s Church, Presteigne. Cecilia wrote Seraphim in memory of the broadcaster and journalist, Adam Raphael, who died in 1999 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was a man of great intellect, energy and kindness with a wonderful sense of fun, even when he was so ill. He was aware of the connection between his name and the Seraphim, the highest in the angel hierarchy, and he asked that the Handel aria with trumpet solo, 'Let the Bright Seraphim', should be played at his memorial service.

In the opening movement, ‘Blow your trumpets,’ the strings present a fast-moving, light textured background to the trumpet solo, which, at times, is sustained and at others moves with great agility. In the central movement, ‘Angells’, the trumpet solo weaves long phrases into the linear violin solo line, supported by the ethereal sound string harmonics and ringing tones of the bowed vibraphone. The last movement, 'Imagin’d Corners’, is more 'earthy‘ in texture and the trumpet solo makes use of the arpeggio shapes from the aria, 'Let the Bright Seraphim', leading the work to an exuberant conclusion. The recording will be on the Dutton Label and will be available late Oct/early Nov this year.