[1] Downes was head of the School of Composition and Creative Studies at Birmingham Conservatoire from 1992 until 2005, when he retired due to ill health.

In 2005, Downes returned to Prague hear the Czech Philharmonic Horns play his Five Dramatic Pieces for Eight Wagner Tubas.

[1] Downes composed Song of the Eagle for the James Madison University Flute Choir of Virginia,[7] and Concerto for Two Pianos for the Duo Scaramouche, Sonata for Eight Pianists for soloists from France, Italy and Britain.

[1][9] He wrote Mela Kamavardhani for Indo-Jazz Fusions musicians in Calcutta, Delhi, and Bombay, and Fanfare for Madam Speaker for the installation of Betty Boothroyd MP as Chancellor of the Open University in 1994.

[1] Instrumental music included Concerto for Two Guitars written for Simon Dinnigan and Fred T. Baker playing with strings from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra,[1][7] the Concert Overture Towards a New Age commissioned for the 150th anniversary of the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers,[1][10] which was premiered at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Suite for Brass Sextet written for the Czech Philharmonic Brass Sextet.