Hybrid temperaments and structural harmony: a personal history

This article traces the development of the use of microtones within the music I have written between 1983 and 2003. It acknowledges the influence on that music of a number of composers, in particular Giacinto Scelsi, John Cage and James Tenney. Contrasts are drawn between those works that exclusively employ microtonal equal temperaments, either quarter-tonal or sixth-tonal, and those that adopt a more hybrid approach, combining a number of different tuning systems. In conclusion, there is a discussion of the compositional use and potential of the harmoniad, which has featured in a number of recent works