"In 1995 a good friend required a new piece for his Clarinet Quartet who were playing a number of concerts in the Malvern (Worcestershire, UK) area where I live. What he wanted was an item featuring his recently acquired Alto Clarinet in E flat. 'Dreamlands' (which begins with solo Alto Clarinet) was the result. The title derives from the wonderful dreamy sonority of the four clarinets which I have exploited to the full. Note that the Bass clarinet needs a low C extension/"John Frith