[2] As organist to the Leeds Festival, Cliffe took part in the first performance of Sullivan's cantata The Golden Legend on 6 October 1886.
He published The Making of Music (1949) and wrote the librettos for operas by Arthur Benjamin, John Joubert and Joan Trimble.
His principal works were his two symphonies,[7] the first of which was produced by August Manns at The Crystal Palace in 1889, and subsequently performed at a Philharmonic concert and at the Proms in 1901, being well received on each occasion.
The Violin Concerto, composed in Switzerland's Engadine Valley, was commissioned by the Norwich Festival and performed there on 7 October 1896 with the Hungarian violinist Tivadar Nachéz.
[9] His 'scena', The Triumph of Alcestis, for contralto voice and orchestra, was composed for Clara Butt, and his five movement setting of Charles Kingsley’s Ode to the North East Wind (1905) was popular with choral societies.
According to the Bournemouth conductor Dan Godfrey he "was not cast in the mould of a fighter and as a result he has, I feel, unwisely, retired from the struggle".
After its initial performances, the Violin Concerto was unheard until revived by the Lambeth Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Fifield, in May 2007.
1 in C minor and his tone poem 'Cloud and Sunshine' have been recorded (Sterling CDS-1055-2 (2003) by the Malmö Opera Orchestra conducted by musicologist Christopher Fifield.
[15] His Violin Concerto in D minor was edited in 2007 by Fifield and published by Patrick Meadows, and has now been recorded by Philippe Graffin on Hyperion (CDA67838) with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by David Lloyd-Jones.