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Prayer for Edith by John Sharpley

Prayer for Edith No. 2 from Triptych (2009; rev. 2013) By John Sharpley The second movement, Prayer for Edith, was composed for Edith Gutierrez, mother of the composer and pioneer of Deep Listening, Pauline Oliveros (1932–2016). Sharpley has spoken of owing much to Oliveros, having grown up alongside her artistic world; this movement reflects a more intimate and devotional dimension within the set. A persistent triplet figure (crotchet–quaver) unfolds as a gentle drone, providing both stability and grounding. Above this sustained undercurrent, a simple melody in long note values rises and resonates like distant bells — unhurried, luminous, and contemplative. The texture suggests spaciousness rather than density, inviting a listening that is inward and attentive. Near the close, a quasi-recitative emerges in the right hand, marked “with freedom.” Here, time seems momentarily suspended, as though an underlying voice were speaking beyond measured pulse. The movement concludes with the return of softly pulsating chords, gradually submerging into the distance — less an ending than a quiet withdrawal into stillness. John Sharpley is an American-born composer, pianist, and educator based in Singapore. His works reflect a deep engagement with the piano tradition while maintaining a distinctive contemporary voice. Alongside this lineage, Sharpley’s fascination with Kathmandu, Nepal — its mysticism, spiritual atmosphere, and the resonant sonorities of Himalayan singing bowls — informs his imaginative sound world. These influences do not appear as literal quotations, but rather as a sensitivity to resonance, space, and sustained sonority. In Triptych, precision of craft underpins energy and lyricism, while an awareness of colour and resonance suggests a more contemplative, almost ritualistic dimension beneath the surface vitality.