Stanford's clarinet concerto was first performed in 1904 by Charles Draper at London's Queen's Hall under the direction of the composer. It was originally dedicated to Richard Mühlfeld who premiered Brahms' works, but he refused to play it. Stanford subsequently crossed out the dedication.

It is written as a single piece, but falls into three clear movements. The middle one is the longest with rhapsodic mood changes. The finale exhibits Stanford's Irish pedigree with its lyrical cheerfulness.