Leo Sowerby (1895-1968) was one of the great composers who wrote music at the keyboard. Although he is better known for his organ and choral works, his piano music is some of the richest and most original of his output. During the 1920s and early '30s, Sowerby often appeared as piano soloist in his concertos. He had very large, strong hands, and his treatment of the piano is vital, harmonically rich, and quite distinctive. He was a master of counterpoint and created an imposing body of piano works.

As one listens to this recording, Sowerby's personal style and approach to the piano become clear. He uses the entire tonal and dramatic resources of the instrument; the extensive use of octaves and long, sustained pedal points in the bass register add power to the coloring of his American-sounding harmonies. There is a surging quality to the writing in the middle register because of the regular, undulating use of quartal chords, shifting back and forth in half steps. The brilliant bell-like sounds he achieves in the upper register are tuneful and sometimes quite jazzy.

His piano music, classical in design, is always dramatic, virtuosic, and full of contrasts. His uncanny ability to weave sound lines and melodies together gives the music an inevitability and structural integrity.