HAMILTON CONCERTO was commissioned in 1982 by the Hamilton (Ontario) based Ensemble Sir Ernest MacMillan under a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. The premiere performance took place that same year, with Marta Hidy and the composer leading the opposing string quartets.

The work could be described as a contemporary take on the baroque form of concerto grosso, in which groupings of musicians are engaged in a friendly musical competition, attempting to out-play and (in this case) out-sing each other. The percussionist is playing inside the piano, on the strings and the soundboard, adding a whole spectrum of unusual sounds to the instrument.