An Air of Expectancy, by Paul Burnell.
 Composed 2018 with minor revisions in 2023.
 For piano(s) and/or other instruments/voices. Duration if performed to the final bar: 4:45 approx.

Each of the pause bars should have a duration of between five and ten seconds. The piece may end at any of the points marked with an asterisk (*) The performers may all finish at the same marked point together, or may each finish at a different point. Performers can choose to omit notes (several in sequence if desired) or make short breaks in the sound ad lib. Voices may perform by humming and may choose to perform a relatively small number of notes. Those players that have instruments without a pedal sustain function may adapt their playing style to reflect in some way the pedal indications.

Optional - parts or all of the following text may be whispered or softly spoken at any point during the piece:

- the silent snow
 - A crow floats past on level wings - White earth, and ruins
 - the snowy ground

(Excerpts from `Winter-Lull` by D.H. Lawrence, 1885-1930)

Programme note:

The initial material used for the composition of this piece was a short selection from the DNA letter sequence that represents the human genome. The letters were transcribed into pitch note names, split into two separate overlapping sequences with a higher and lower range, then transposed and further modified to produce longer and shorter notes and rests. Performers can finish the piece at one of several marked places, which means that the duration of the piece will vary between forty seconds and five minutes.