The flute concerto was originally commissioned by the Goldberg Ensemble and first performed in 1985 with Wissam Boustany as soloist. Paul himself wrote that the concerto derived much from French musical style and was cast simply and conventionally in three movements. The first movement, in sonata form, is an aubade, or awakening, and is about morning and morning light. The second, a nocturne, suggests both the beauty of night and absence. The third movement is a dance.

The following quote by Paul tells a lot about how he perceived the concerto: 'Writing for the flute may be like painting in water colours. The charm is in capturing its special tonal qualities of light and shade, like the subtle colouring of swift-changing skies and clouds. It seems to be the least serious of all the woodwind instruments—its character is capricious and elusive, but once captured, it has surprising strength and sweetness.'

Philippa Davies first performed the concerto in 1988 with the London Mozart Players at St John’s Smith Square conducted by Peter Broadbent. She has championed the piece and has given many performances in the UK and in South America.

In 2022 she played the work to commemorate 25 years from Paul’s death with The 23 String Orchestra conducted by David Cutts at the Cadogan Hall in London.

from notes by John Whibley © 2023