Written at the same time as the composer's Piano Concerto (The Solway Canal), Bryars' Ramble on Cortona is the first piece the composer has penned for solo piano in his esteemed career. Like his piano concerto, the work was written for Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat. Bryars borrows the term ''Ramble'' from Percy Grainger whom Bryars has always admired both as a composer and pianist. Others might call it a ''Paraphrase'' but Bryars' Ramble is based on themes from his vocal laude which derive from 13th century manuscripts found in Cortona.