I started collaborating with Donald Bousted in 2020. He was always supportive, kind and generous with his advice, sensitive in his interpretations. He prompted me to compose pieces that I'd never had dared to play myself. We never met in person, but I liked Donald very much—and I like to think there was reciprocity.

He brought to life Toska, a tremolo based piece I had written in 2018 that I had never played as it was outside of my technical abilities. He rendered, truly beautifully, Entranced, the first work I wrote specifically for baritone ukulele.

When Donald got his baritone ukulele tuned in fifths (viola tuning), he asked me for music for the new instrument. I wrote a seventeen-movement suite, Santa Orosia, that he managed to put on record (see Barry Tone's Fantastic Adventures) and premiere (partially) in concert.

I wrote Donald's in the first quarter of 2021, for my Waltz in Progress collection (it's number 11), obviously dedicated to him. We agreed to record and release our renditions on YouTube on the same day. He played his on the very same instrument that I'm holding today.

We kept communicating during his last months, and a few days before he passed, he told me it was his will for me to take care of this extraordinary Beau Hannam ukulele. A few weeks ago, Donald's daughter visited Barcelona and presented me with this treasured legacy.

Thus, recording a new version of Donald's was the obvious first thing to do with this ukulele. Here it is I hope you enjoy it. With love, to Donald Bousted.

If you haven't had the opportunity to enjoy Donald Bousted's work before, you may like to check: