I wrote my clarinet quintet Gumboots for Todd Palmer and the St Lawrence String Quartet in 2008, and it's gone on to become one of my most
popular pieces. However after the premiere I made several changes to the piece, including, most controversially, dropping one of the dances in the second part of the piece. I
say controversially because both Todd and Geoff Nuttall, violinist of the St Lawrence Quartet seemed particularly attached to this particular dance. But I insisted as I felt that
without it the sequence of ever-livelier dances had a better overall shape.
Recently Todd asked me if I would consider resurecting the "movement oubliée" as he put it - as a clarinet and piano piece. I looked it over and found that it would work extremely well in that format, so I jumped at the chance
and within 24 hours or so the new version was made. It's only 2 minutes long, but it's cute, memorable, and I think would make a great encore to any clarinet recital!
David Bruce, October 2010
Update Apr 2012
Subsequently, my friends and long-time collaborators in crime at Ensemble ACJW wanted to commission a short '2-3 minute' work at fairly short notice for a concert at New York's Le Poisson Rouge. They were also hoping it could include parts for all their
current line-up of 17 or so fellows. An expanded version of Forgotten Boots seemed a perfect solution.
