The King's Banquet

Mark Houghton's list of compositions is getting more and more impressive as years go by. His apparent ease at providing new pieces seemingly at the drop of a hat belies the fact that few if any of his pieces are ever derivative or hackneyed or duIl, unlike so many other composers whose music, surprisingly, manages to make it into print. So it is a pleasure to see a new and interesting trio with lots to offer.
Written in 2003 for the Appassionata Trio who gave its first performance on September 2004 in Manchester, it consists of one movement very much in the renaissance style. The marvellously witty front cover illustration by John Gavin says all you need to know to enjoy the piece.
The opening idea subtitled Enter The King! is suitably pompous and fanfare like. It pauses briefly on the sub-dominant before the next section The King is escorted to the head of the banquet table. Here the main theme makes its first entrance and is a processional in style. There is a nice slide into F major and an equally gorgeous slide back into D aIl in the space of the next 14 bars - a nice touch. A «ritardando« takes us to the section called «Let the Banquet begin!«, where the main theme slightly varied makes another entrance. This is the longest section in the trio and one where all the various renaissance elements, the witty part-writing, the sudden unprepared chord changes, etc., make the most effect. The final section sees a repeat of the main theme one more time before it comes to a close in a convincingly final perfect cadence.
The writing is nicely idiomatic and not too difficult for any of the trio, with the third player having a low D sixth string. It is not too long, fun to play and no doubt to listen to as weIl and convincingly renaissance, while just betraying a hint of the humour in the pastiche it no doubt is. Amateur trios with only modest abilities can try it with confidence and will get a great deal of fun from it.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)