Simón García writes: ‘The idea of this piece was inspired by the sounds of my native country, Spain. The zarzuela was the most popular musical genre in Spanish theatres during the 19th and early 20th-centuries. It combines singing and theatre, much like opera, but they tell popular stories and in my music I have aimed to do the same.

In Spain it is usual to play selections of the main themes of a zarzuela in concerts, as if it were a suite. This idea seemed fun and I started writing a selection about a non- existent zarzuela.

I used three main themes and treated them with different musical resources of this genre. The first one is a lyrical theme, with sounds of Andalusia, and the melody is lyrical and elegant with the use of triplets which could be a melody for a female character. The second has some surprises and is in a minor key initially but developing into a comical and fun theme. The third is dramatic, written in the style of a recitative, and this deep melody is charged with drama and energy.’

Spanish Sounds for an American Friend is originally for double bass quartet and is dedicated to the American bassist, Barry Green.