Another prize-winning composition from Needham is his String Quartet No. 1, which sprang from an afternoon's exposure to Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Says the composer, The work itself is about cycles. Nature cycles (day to night, seasonal, moon, tides, etc.), life cycles, and even cycles in music make their way into the piece, both consciously and subconsciously. The work is a homage to nature and to the affective spirit found in the music of Vivaldi.