This short solo piece was composed on 18 October 2000, at a single sitting in Carcavelos, near Lisbon, Portugal. Praia Mar (loosely, ‘Seashore’) takes its name from the composer’s hotel, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

It was written for an al fresco premiere the next day, outside the Royal Palace at Sintra. The soloist was Alexa Walters, who was then a pupil on a music tour from St. Helen’s School, Northwood, UK.

Constructed as a quasi-rondo, (A B A1 C B1 coda), this moto perpetuo, tonal piece has a lilting swing, with jazz-flavoured syncopation, exploiting the whole range of the instrument.