Prayer for solo viola was commissioned by the Nash Concert Society for the Nash Ensemble
and was first performed by Lawrence Power at the Wigmore Hall, London, on 5 March 2009.
This short piece (8 minutes) explores the rich and varied tone of the viola. The basic trajectory is an upwardly flowing melodicline, by turns contemplative and passionately lyrical, interrupted by a variety of other sonorities and contrasting episodes.
Prayer is dedicated to Ginny Macbeth, in gratitude and recognition of her tireless work
on behalf of classical music generally and contemporary composers in particular.