Aria was commissioned by and written for the remarkable tenor horn player, Sheona White. Philip Sparke had produced a CD recording with Sheona as soloist and had her wonderful sound in his ears while writing this piece. The work opens with an accompanied recitative, which leads to a change of key where the main melody is presented. This, in turn, serves merely as an introduction to another melodic idea, marked calmato. The piano accompaniment takes up this theme and then takes centre stage with a passionate repeat of the main theme, which is completed by the soloist. The piano then plays the calmato theme against which the soloist plays a counter melody. This leads to a return of the opening recitative which brings the work to a peaceful close.

Tenor Horn and Piano-Part of the Anglo Music Play-Along Series Philip Sparke's 15 Intermediate Classical Solos is aimed at the young instrumentalist who can play about an octave and a half and follows on from Sparke's 15 Easy Classical Solos.Specifically tailored to suit the individual instrument this book introduces the developing player to the world of the classics by using simple yet attractive melodies that fit their limited range.The carefully selected pieces include music from the 17th to the 19th century and cover a wide variety of styles from Handel to Tchaikovsky and from Clementi to Brahms.The book will provide invaluable additional material tocomplement any teaching method and includes both piano accompaniment and a demo/play-along CD.