Pentium - Peter Graham

Commissioned by the West Lothian Schools Wind Band, Pentium was premiered by the group at the 1999 BASBWE Conference held in Manchester, England. Described by conductor Brian Duguid as "a short ride on a PC", Pentium displays some common traits with the minimalist techniques of John Adams. A five-note figure, first heard in the clarinets and saxophones after the opening swirl and flourish, provides the essential building block for the rondo-like movement. Pentium takes it's name from the "silicon glen" where computer chips are manufactured, near the West Lothian Schools Wind Band base.