Prelude to the Coming Dawn (1985)

Archimedes Ramond (1952–1997) — Prelude to the Coming Dawn (1985) for organ

Archimedes Ramond (1952–1997) was born in New York City to Greek parents and lived most of his life in Sri Lanka where he worked as a teacher of English and music at a missionary school. He composed avocationally in his spare time, producing about 50 pieces for various musical forces, almost entirely compositions for his students.

The composer wrote the following about this piece: "Like a great many composers, I was very inspired by the music of the American minimalist tradition that was introduced to wider public during the 1970s and 1980s. The music of composers like Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich was a welcome change from the arid, modernist landscapes that had dominated the previous decades. At that time, the beauty of pure triads and simple repetitions seemed remarkably fresh and vital. Many of us were inspired to adopt some of these principles in our own way, often less systematically and non-process-oriented as Riley/Glass/Reich. I had not previously composed for organ, but decided that the purity and richness of the instrument's sound would serve well for the musical ideas I had. 'Prelude to the Coming Dawn' was written during Lent of 1985, looking forward to Easter."