The concerto is scored for a ‘concerto grosso’ ensemble of strings plus two horns in D, which have remarkably adventurous and prominent parts. It successfully combines the traditional continuous variation form of the dances themselves with baroque concerto structure, having as its centrepiece a fugal movement based on material from a dance called The Highlanders’ March. The prevailing tone is good-humoured, even slightly riotous at times. This is the perfect concluding piece for a concert. 

The PDF files contain the parts in two versions, as single pages and booklets.

“There are refined moments, such as the central fugal movement, and moments of quiet reflection, such as the minor-key Largo third movement and the very sparsely scored concertino episodes within the final Moderato. This is writing which frequently wears its layers of undoubted sophistication lightly, but there is also a lot of unadulterated fun to be had in listening to and performing this music. Horn players in particular will find much to enjoy in the prominence and extent of their role.” The Consort