My Trio for flute, oboe and piano was composed in 1972 as an offering to my composition-teacher Nicholas Maw and his then partner, flautist Judith Pearce. It is in five short movements, and is playful in mood. The piano part was originally imagined for harpsichord, but was rewritten when I decided to switch to the piano.

The opening movement, Fanfare, starts with a slightly chaotic racket (rather like playground high jinks). There is a quieter central section; then the opening racket reappears, to round it off. The second, Chant, quotes the plainchant melody Asperges me, which is sung as an antiphon at Catholic High Mass, and celebrates the cleansing of the spirit. Between the two halves of the melody come two free variations. The third movement, Child's play, is based on the three-note jingle sung by playing children in many parts of the world. This is used at the start and finish of the movement; in between these book-ends are two contrasted episodes which show my developing interest in Messiaen - and the Quatuor pour la fin du temps in particular. Five years later, at Messiaen's invitation, I made a series of visits to his class at the Paris Conservatoire, and found him a warm and sympathetic mentor. The oboe takes a break in the rhapsodic fourth movement, Song, which is scored for flute and piano. The last movement, Finish, is a breathless gallop containing scrambled references to Rule, Britannia! The piano (bored) breaks away and plays a jazzy version of Tip-toe through the tulips ; but the flute and oboe take no notice, so the piano loses its temper and the movement ends (as children's play sometimes does) in a fracas.

Giles Swayne
2025