Tranquil Abiding

"Tranquil Abiding" (1999 -- 14'46) is haunting and beautiful, based on a simple two-chord oscillation, like breathing in and out, as in meditation. Complexity gradually builds, and the piece culminates with a sense of peace and clarity. Tranquil Abiding is a Buddhist term for a state of single-pointed concentration. This piece is a 14-minute movement based throughout on a single, slow breathing rhythm. The rhythm consists of an “inhalation” on an upper note followed by an “exhalation” on a lower one. There are melodic fragments above it: one using only one pitch, another three pitches, another five pitches, another eight pitches and a fifth fifteen pitches. It is scored for small orchestra and was commissioned jointly by Riverside Symphony and Bournemouth Orchestras as the result, respectively, of a Koussevitsky award and funds provided by the Arts Council of England.'