Along with many others, I was shocked by the untimely death of Steve Hicks in February 2025 at the age of only 50. Steve was a very dear friend and a brilliant musician, and his death has left a hole in many lives – not least in the life of Fulham Symphony Orchestra, for whom he was for many years principal trumpet. Although Consolation and Joy was written as a tribute to Steve in the aftermath of his death, it is, as the title suggests, not a sad piece – or, at least, not only a sad piece. In the speech I gave at Steve’s funeral, I suggested that there was, even in the most distressing of circumstances, a joy in having known Steve, and it is partly this sentiment that I have attempted to capture in Consolation and Joy. The piece opens with gentle melancholy – the ‘consolation’ of the title – before moving steadily towards its celebratory conclusion. It is a piece which embraces the late romantic music with which Steve felt such affinity, and is a piece which I hope Steve himself would have enjoyed. I only wish he could have heard it.