Allay For Solo Piano (abstract only)

allay (2020): a composition for solo piano (composition and performance by Nicholas Cline). I began composing this work shortly after the birth of my son in December 2019. It began as a simple work for left hand alone (one hand playing with the other arm holding my son). The title "allay" or "to make quiet, to quell, to calm" seemed fitting for the moment. Over the months that followed and the tragedies of 2020, this piece became a tonic that might - if only for a moment - alleviate fear and grief.In this short work (4:30), a melody traverses the range of the piano. Slowly, the melody condenses to form a series of chords beginning with a warm Eb major triad. The progression repeats again and again, searching for a place to settle until it finds a lightness and floats away. Link to performance available at:https://sites.google.com/appstate.edu/researchweek2021