Composition

Tony Cliff has numerous published compositions including works for solo instrument and piano, choral music, ensemble and chamber works as well as music for brass band and for jazz orchestra.  Many compositions have been regularly performed, recorded and broadcast and a growing number have been specially commissioned and Tony's music has often been selected for Associated Board, Trinity Guildhall  and London College practical examination grade syllabuses. His music is published by companies including Faber Music, Stainer and Bell, Studio Music Company, Winwood Music, Kirklees Music and Wright and Round.

Tony has also established his own company to publish selected musical works and these may be viewed by clicking the TCM Sales button above. Please note that TCM publications are available to purchase directly from this web site and new works will be added on a regular basis. Clicking on a cover design image or TCM Publication title link from this page will take you to the appropriate page in TCM Sales for viewing, auditioning or purchasing music. Alternatively simply browse the various page categories within TCM Sales for music which may be of interest.

A number of Tony's works are published with CD recordings enabling the soloist to perform with full instrumental backing tracks or with piano accompaniment. Piano Grooves (Stainer and Bell), for example, is a collection of eight original jazz-influenced pieces for piano which also contains informative text to assist with the development of improvisation skills. The included CD contains both full versions of each piece and also the backings alone which enable the player to enjoy playing along with a full rhythm section accompaniment. Other works published with integral CD recording include Travels With My Flute (Stainer and Bell), Swinging Seasons (Tony Cliff Music) - for trumpet/cornet and Illusions (Tony Cliff Music) - for french horn/tenor horn.

Tony typesets all his compositions using the renowned Sibelius music score-writing program and, apart from his own compositional work, has also undertaken music engraving work for a number of major publishers. Tony is an accomplished pianist, vocalist and keyboard player with extensive experience as a performer, composer, arranger and session musician encompassing classical, jazz and popular music. He has produced songs and arrangements for many commercial recordings together with ‘jingles’, incidental music, music for the stage as well as instrumental backing for professional ‘demo’ recordings. He has written numerous songs in a wide range of styles and has his own multi-track digital recording studio. Six of Tony's songs (with lyrics by Eddie Lewisohn) appear on the highly acclaimed 1998 jazz vocal CD by Isabel Roberts called Leave the Man Alone. If you visit www.tonycliffsongs.com there are original jazz, pop, folk and blues songs which are freely available to play and download.

Selected Publications:

Four Sketches for trombone and piano (Studio Music Company 1985) – selected as Guildhall and Trinity College examination piece and featured on both the 1990 and 1992 BBC TV Young Musician of the Year Brass Final. The most recent recording was made in 2007 by the virtuoso trombonist Brett Baker for the CD The World of the Trombone vol. 1 (Polyphonic Reproductions QPRZ 026D). Here are some mp3 excerpts from the 2005 CD recording Scaramouche made by the renowned Japanese trombonist Hiroyuki Odagiri (CD No: MM -1185) Meister Music Co Ltd www.meister-music.com
(mp3) Blues mvt 1 excerpt
(mp3) Shades mvt 2 excerpt
(mp3) Pastels mvt 3 excerpt
(mp3) Impressions mvt 4 excerpt

Showtime (Studio Music Company 1987) six jazzy pieces for trumpet or cornet and piano.

Slap Happy (Studio Music Company 1989) work for jazz orchestra.

Landscapes (Studio Music Company 1989) three movement suite for E flat tenor horn and piano - intermediate to advanced performance level.

Salford Keys (Studio Music Company 1989) for jazz orchestra featuring solo trombone. Commissioned for the 1987 Lowry Festival and first performed by the great trombonist Don Lusher.

Ragtime and Other Dances for tenor horn/french horn and piano (Studio Music Company 1989) – selected as examination pieces for both Associated Board and Trinity College performance grade examinations.

Three Dimensions (Kirklees Music 1989) suite for brass quartet.

New York Impressions for tenor horn and piano (Kirklees Music 1992) - commissioned by tenor horn virtuoso Gordon Higginbottom. Here are some mp3 excerpts from Gordon's CD  recording Aria made in 1994 (Kirklees KRCD 1016)
(mp3) New York Impressions 1 excerpt
(mp3) New York Impressions 2 excerpt

Feeling Mellow (Kirklees Music 1993) flugel horn feature for brass band originally commissioned by Fairey Engineering Band and has often been performed and broadcast. The mp3 excerpt here is from the Brighouse & Rastrick Band CD recording entitled Aria (Kirklees KRCD 1012) featuring soloist Nigel Ridler. (mp3) Excerpt

Cool Contrasts (Rosehill Music 1994) for trumpet, cornet or flugel horn and piano

Suite Syncopation (Rosehill Music 1995) 3-movement suite for tuba and piano.

Jazz Silhouettes (Studio Music 1995) is a three movement suite for trombone and piano. The first movement opens with an arching 4/4 theme and a lyrical section in 3/4 time. The central movement marked 'Moderato e Misterioso' sets an atmospheric minor modal mood and alternating between 4/4 and 7/8 metre. The final movement is in a contrasting major mode featuring frequent shifts between three and four time. The work is features on the 2010 CD recording The World of the Trombone Vol. 2 (Polyphonic Reproductions QPRZ 027D) featuring trombone virtuoso Brett Baker.
(mp3) Three Jazz Silhouettes mvt 1 excerpt
(mp3) Three Jazz Silhouettes mvt 2 excerpt
(mp3) Three Jazz Silhouettes mvt 3 excerpt

Serenata (Kirklees Music 1998) Euphonium feature for brass band, recorded by Cory Band with soloist Nigel John for the 2001 CD  entitled Men of Stone (Kirklees KRCD 1034) (mp3) excerpt

Star Stream (Tony Cliff Music 1995) for solo harp (recorded on CD by Patricia Spero) is a lyrical three-movement suite for solo concert harp of about Grade 7/8 standard. A melodic yet challenging solo concert work for orchestral pedal harp, Star Stream has a performance duration of approximately 11 minutes. The following are mp3 excerpts taken from each movement. This work is available directly from TCM Sales  
(mp3) Star Stream mvt 1 excerpt
(mp3) Star Stream mvt 2 excerpt
(mp3) Star Stream mvt 3 excerpt

Three Jazz Interludes (Kirklees Music 1997) for euphonium and piano was premiered at the Tuba and Euphonium Festival at the Birmingham Conservatoire in 1997. The published score for soloist and piano also includes a CD featuring the full recording with euphonium soloist and also separate piano accompaniment and rhythm section-only recordings for enjoyable play-along practise or for use in concerts.
(mp3) One More Time mvt 1 excerpt
(mp3) Serenata mvt 2 excerpt
(mp3) End Game mvt 1 excerpt

Travels With My Flute (Stainer and Bell 1998) comprises 5 entertaining and jazzy pieces for flute and piano contrasting in style and ideal for concerts. The integral recording includes both piano and full rhythm section accompaniments for play-along mode as well as the full versions with an accomplished flute soloist playing on the CD. There is also a fully notated piano part and the work is suitable for flautists of grade 4 and above.
(mp3) Holiday Time
(mp3) Eastern Promise

Dreams & Aspirations (Wright & Round 2001) for brass band (Duration 12 minutes) selected as a test piece for the Victoria State brass band contest, Australia in 2002 and for the Australian National Band Championships, March 2005 (Grade A Junior Section).

Too Cool for School (Tony Cliff Music 1998) A collection of 20 jazzy pieces of about grade 4/5 standard with detailed fingering for each offering a wide range of styles from funk to ballad, from blues to rock and from jazz to Latin and all designed to be both fun to learn and challenging. Here are some mp3's taken from the collection - why not have a listen? Available directly from TCM Sales
(mp3) Blue on Blue  (mp3) Too Cool for School
(mp3) Jiggery Pokery  (mp3) Beautiful Ballet
(mp3) In the Swim  (mp3) Count to Five

Piano Grooves (Stainer & Bell 1999) A collection of eight jazzy pieces for solo piano with an integral CD recording containing both full performances and rhythm section accompaniments only for the soloist. There is also helpful text about jazz chord structures, performance techniques, phrasing and improvisation.  Piano Grooves' is suitable for grade 5 and above.
(mp3) Swingtime in Springtime
(mp3) After Midnight

Ebb and Flow (Tony Cliff Music 2001) for junior brass quartet.Scored for 2 cornets, tenor horn and euphonium this work opens with a bright first movement with a more lyrical 2nd movement and a lively final movement. and is ideal as a concert or test piece for junior brass quartet. Duration around 6 minutes. This work is available directly from TCM Sales
(mp3) 1st Movement excerpt
(mp3) 2nd Movement excerpt
(mp3) 3rd Movement excerpt
 

Swinging Seasons (Tony Cliff Music 2002) for trumpet/cornet and piano with integral CD recording featuring both piano accompaniment and full rhythm section backings with brass, woodwind and strings and also fully performed versions with solo trumpet. This entertaining collection, with a performance level of Grade 5/6, is ideal for concerts and has a duration of approximately 15 minutes. Available to purchase directly from TCM Sales
(mp3) Jumping June (mp3) Sad September
(mp3) Mambo in May (mp3) November Nocturne
(mp3) Jolly July

Illusions (Tony Cliff Music 2004) Four movement suite for french horn or tenor horn and piano with integral CD recording containing both piano accompaniments and full rhythm section backings with brass, woodwind, strings and drums. The movements are written in a popular and jazz-influenced idiom and feature plenty of syncopation in the lively movements with contrasting lyrical style in slower movements. Why not listen to the mp3 excerpts below or view the pdf score examples in TCM Sales where the work is available to purchase.
(mp3) 1st Movement excerpt
(mp3) 2nd Movement excerpt
(mp3) 3rd Movement excerpt
(mp3) 4th Movement excerpt

Spring Tides (Tony Cliff Music 2004) for junior brass quartet. Scored for 2 cornets, tenor horn and euphonium, this 3-movement work starts with a bright opening with a more lyrical central movement and a very lively Finale. Ideal as a concert or test piece with a duration of about 6 minutes. This work is available directly from TCM Sales
(mp3) 1st Movement excerpt
(mp3) 2nd Movement excerpt
(mp3) 3rd Movement excerpt

Summer in the Park (Tony Cliff Music 2006) for clarinet with piano accompaniment. This is a four movement suite with a performance standard of Grade 7/8. The tranquil and lyrical opening movement is followed by a more lively bossa nova 2nd movement. The 3rd movement is a slow lyrical minor mode piece whilst the finale is lively and rhythmic featuring syncopation and metre changes. Please listen to the mp3 excerpts below. The work is available directly from TCM Sales
(mp3) 1st Movement excerpt (mp3) 2nd Movement excerpt
(mp3) 3rd Movement excerpt (mp3) 4th Movement excerpt

The Wreck of the Anson (Tony Cliff Music 2005) for Male Voice Choir. This evocative work was a prize-winning entry at the 2005 Cornwall International Male Voice Choir Festival Composers' Competition. With a duration of three and a half minutes, the work relates the tragic story of the events of 1807 when the forty-gun frigate 'The Anson' was wrecked just off the Cornish coast with huge loss of life. (mp3) The Wreck of the Anson (from a recording made by PMSound and included by kind permission). This work is available directly from TCM Sales

Crackers at Christmas (Tony Cliff Music 2005) available for either Mixed Choir (SATB) or Male Voice Choir (TTBB).
This is a humorous work relating the tale of an idyllic dream of a perfect Christmas only to be rudely awakened into a reality where just about everything possible goes wrong. It is an entertaining concert piece with a very amusing text and guaranteed to impress the audience. The performance duration is just over 4 minutes. (mp3) Crackers at Christmas (SATB) performed by The Goonvrea Singers (with kind permission). This work is available directly from TCM Sales

Fingerprints new series published by Faber Music in 2006. Tony was recently commissioned by Faber Music to contribute new pieces for three new volumes in this exciting series for young players. 'Cruise Control' in the Fingerprints Alto Saxophone collection, 'Game Over' in the Fingerprints Trumpet collection and 'Lover's Lament' in the Fingerprints Clarinet Collection.