Sixty-nine blown glass bottles create an ensemble of breathy physical sound. With astonishing intonation, the bottle choir creates an almost creaturely presence. Then floating seemingly effortlessly above, soars a musical saw, (actually there are two – a high tenor and a low baritone) singing a mellifluous duet, evoking an other-worldly feel. And just when you think how cool it is to hear music made with curious things, a lonely call from a classic French horn sounds, out of the blue. The music ends with a surprising glissando from a waterphone, perhaps alluding to the impossible escape of flying horses from a gently slowing carousel.
sublime in headphones.
many thanks to:
Don Harder, recording, CBC Studio One, Vancouver
mixed and mastered by Jeff Wolpert, Desert Fish Studios, Toronto
Drawing by Nancy Walker