There had been an ostinato that would be played almost every time the composer sat at the piano to compose.  The pattern is constant eighth notes with a mix of single notes and intervals rhythmically stressing the first, forth and seventh eighth note.  This accent scheme sounds as if it is an 8/8 time signature.  A poem by Laura St. Martin, found a few months later, describes the ocean as an elegant female.  The poem seems to fit the 8/8 ostinato pattern and a work for soprano and piano began.  While composing The Ocean, Eric D. Sharp would hear another melodic line that could not be played with just the piano alone.  So the other melodic line was written for a vibraphone.  This part adds to the piece a crystal like sound that sonically describes the crystal like color the ocean creates when the sun it reflected in the water.

Duration:  3.5 Minutes
Number of measures:  107
Number of pages (Score):  6

The Ocean the ocean is a strange midnight lover skinny dipping when the beach patrol has left she is a cool seduction wrapping blue thunder around slick brown shoulders raising great foam-fringed arms to a steel sky rushing over us sometimes tumbling us to the shore licking the rocks passionately only to retreat into swirling indecision tense always prancing and the moon casts a furious gleem on the many-knuckled sea                                                                           Laura St. Martin                                       (b 1957)

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