Stephen Richards interviews Patric Standford about writing Autumn Grass; a ritualistic invocation in six parts for Continuum and the Olympus Strings.

Q Did you enjoy working with the group?

PS Oh yes, very much. They are a four piece group and we had six cellists who were my students from the Guildhall School of Music, and with that group of ten people we got on marvellously.

Q Are you considering working with a group again in the near future?

PS Not immediately. I think this was one experiment and it'll stay where it is for the time being. I've got several other quite different projects on at the mement and I don't know whether it's going to be something I'll do in the near future, to write for a group or incorporate a group again.

Q Was Autumn Grass for this group simpler and easier to complete that your more normal works?

PS I wouldn't think so. I always look at music as having the same sort of principles involved no matter what it is. I don't think it matters whether it's big or small or what its function is going to be, you still have to think in terms of the same basic craftsmanship and try to make it as near as possible to your usual standard. I always find it difficult to start a piece and this particular piece was no exception. One of the difficult things was that I didn't really know how to write for guitar, so I had to work at that studying fingering charts and try to teach myself some basics about how to play the guitar. I've listened to the recording of the piece Autumn Grass now a number of times. It's very intense and moving with some long flowing melodies. There's a beautiful section for recorder and another for harmonica. I found it totally enthralling and worth while.