Howard Ferguson was talent-spotted in Belfast as a 13-year-old pianist and invited to take lessons in London with Harold Samuel; he went on to study composition with R O Morris and conducting with Sir Malcolm Sargentt at the Royal College of Music. His Compositional breakthrough came in 1933 with Octet, widely regarded as his masterwork. He was influenced by Brahms, and supported music of friends Vaughan Williams and Finzi; his works combine love of Classical forms and thematicism with expressive Romantic idiom. His Meticulous approach to craftsmanship produced small output praised for its compositional perfection. In 1959, after making a final artistic statement in two oratorios, Ferguson abandoned composition in favour of parallel musicological interests. His works have been championed by leading performers including Myra Hess, Jascha Heifetz, Yfrah Neaman, Kathleen Ferrier, Sir Henry Wood and Sir Adrian Boult
Ferguson's Four Short Pieces for Viola and Piano include:
- Prelude
- Scherzo
- Pastoral
- Burlesque