This work was commissioned by Bath International Music Festival and BBC Radio 3. It was first performed on 30th May 2011 at the Assembly Rooms Bath by Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian Pipes) Joanna MacGregor (Piano) and theNavarra String Quartet.

John McCabe's Nocturnal For Piano Quintet was composed in 1966 commissioned by the Park Lane Group London and first performed by the Lancaster University Ensemble. Duration: Approximately 13 minutes. Composers Note:  The title of this work is a reference to John Donne's poem A Nocturnal upon St Lucie's Day the mood of which is reflected in the quintet. It falls into several movements played without a break: Introduction (Andante) setting forth the main thematic ideas of the music; Nocturne 1 (Allegro vivo) an agitated virtuoso scherzo-like section; a tripartite central part of the work consisting of two Cadenzasframing a brief Interlude the first Cadenza being largely for strings the second mainly for piano and the Interlude harking back to the feeling of the Introduction; Nocturne 2 (Andante molto) a slow piece gradually building to a unison theme on strings accompanied by a tolling piano background. This dies down to lead to an Epilogue ending with a final reference to the work's opening bars.