In 1969, experimental American composer James Tenney composed a work of electronic music titled For Ann (rising). Consisting of a series of slowly ascending sine tones, the piece was a demonstration of the perceptual phenomenon known as Shepard tones. With the frequencies fading in at the bottom and fading out at the top it is impossible to follow a single note to its conclusion. The piece rises indefinitely.

My work, Shepard, is inspired by Tenney's and explores a temporal equivalent to shepard tones through acoustic instruments. The ensemble appears to speed up continually as it traverses a series of rhythmic and harmonic relationships.

Composed by David Bithell, 2016 Premiered by Left Edge Percussion - Terry Longshore, Artistic Director Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University

Performers: Greyson Boydstun, Jared Brown, Terry Longshore, Drew Wright

Recorded by Oregon Sound Recording at BrokenWorks Productions, Ashland OR