Article published in Manchester Evening News 1 May 2015

HELEN GRIME became the Hallé’s associate composer four years ago, and the major product of that association is about to be revealed. It’s a concerto for clarinet and trumpet, written for the orchestra’s own principal players, Lynsey Marsh and Gareth Small: the world premiere is on May 7, in a concert conducted by Markus Stenz. 

Helen’s music has been performed by the orchestra several times, they’ve already recorded her clarinet concerto (with Lynsey Marsh the soloist), and the Hallé Youth Choir premiered a new Christmas carol she wrote for them in 2013. 

The concerto, about 20 minutes long, is quite definitely a ‘double’ one, she says. “It gradually came to me that I wanted to write a concerto for clarinet and trumpet. I was inspired by Lynsey Marsh’s playing – her wonderful tone and amazing musicianship – and Gareth Small has an amazing sound, too.  

“There are so many brilliant players in the Hallé, but those two instruments really stood out to me. They both have an extremely lyrical quality – and though the trumpet can be extremely powerful, there’s so much you can do with mutes, and you can get a really blended sound between the two, as well.” 

It’s a ‘double’ concerto in other senses. “When we say someone is a person’s ‘double’, it means they’re alike, but different. So the two instruments can play something similar but subtly different – or each can play something the other begins and take it in a different direction. 

“And there’s a ‘double take’, where you look at something from different angles. So sometimes a declamatory idea from the clarinet goes to the trumpet in a muted, far-off version. And in the second movement Gareth switches from trumpet to the flugelhorn, which has a rounder sound than the trumpet … in fact more like the clarinet.” 

The concerto features not only two soloists, but other instruments in ‘double’ roles. Helen says this arose from her work with the Hallé, getting to know its individual sections and players. In the first movement three flutes have what she calls ‘more of a virtuosic role’ alongside the clarinet, and two oboes (the oboe is her own instrument) play with the trumpet. 

In the second, orchestral clarinets and trumpets take centre stage and also ‘shadow’ the soloists. “It moves organically from slow to fast, and finally you get the impression of the slow music returning along with the fast,” Helen concludes.