Lilburn began composing his Sonata in F# Minor in 1939 while he was in London, being tutored in composition by Ralph Vaughan-Williams. When World War 2 broke out Lilburn returned home to Whanganui and finished off the sonata there.
In Liam Wooding’s programme notes for this concert he says, “Since Whanganui is my hometown, I’m interested in learning about its musical history, of which this sonata is an important part. According to public records the piece has only been performed once in 2006. I hope my performance of the work convinces you of its success as a piece and prompts other pianists to perform the work more!”
