911³Ô¹Ï

CHALICE WELL (2009)
for 8 digital soundtracks

Chalice Well is a holy well situated at the foot of Glastonbury Tor in southwest England, thought to be originally the island of Avalon from Arthurian legend, and the site where Joseph of Arimathea placed the chalice known as the Holy Grail. According to legend, the Tor, a masculine symbol, is hollow underneath and the entrance to the underworld, guarded by the Grail. The well, on the other hand, is a symbol of the feminine aspect of deity, and its waters are believed to possess healing qualities.

This work takes the listener on an imaginary journey down into the well, passing through several cavernous chambers on its descent, filled with rushing and trickling water, including the chamber of the feminine spirit. The journey continues to the glass chamber, then to the gates of the underworld, only to be confronted by the image of the Grail, and finally coming to rest in the space where wind and water, the masculine and the feminine are combined.




Scenes:
The Well & Descent
Chamber of the Feminine
Glass Chamber & the Underworld
The Grail & Chamber of the Spirits
Production Score:
page 1, page 2
page 3, page 4
page 5, page 6
page 7
Time:
0:00
4:10
8:26
10:40
Audio:
 Part 1
 Part 2
 Part 3
 Part 4
Spectragram:
Part 1, Part 1a
Part 2, Part 2a
Part 3
Part 4, Part 4a

Mix Levels

Materials:

20 files, both short and long, were convolved with each other in various combinations using SoundHack to produce about 200 hybrids, each normalized with high frequency boost, and later EQ'd with fades added

I. Convolved with Granular Material

Original Source Materials

Fast Sine Grains

High Density Grains

Granular Texture

Expanding Texture
 Consonants -1 oct
Cons-1*Fast
Cons-1*HiDens
Cons-1*Texture
Cons-1*Exp
 Consonants -2 oct
Cons-2*Fast
Cons-2*HiDens
Cons-2*Texture
Cons-2*Exp
 Glassbreak


Glass*Texture

 Locks
Locks*Fast
Locks*HiDens
Locks*Texture
Locks*Exp
 Bubbles
Bubbles*Fast
Bubbles*HiDens
Bubbles*Texture
Bubbles*Exp
 Splashes
Splashes*Fast
Splashes*HiDens
Splashes*Texture
Splashes*Exp
 Well
Well*Fast
Well*HiDens
Well*Texture
Well*Exp
 Trickle
Trickle*Fast
Trickle*HiDens
Trickle*Texture

 Waterstream
Water*Fast
Water*HiDens
Water*Texture
Water*Exp

II. Convolved with Text and Vocal Material:  Thecla Schiphorst: "A well of flowing water", "A fountain of gardens"from Song of Songs; gated consonants from Norbert Ruebsaat, The Blind Man

Original Source Materials

Cons -1oct

Cons -2oct

A_Well*self

A_Well*self*self

A_Fountain*self

A_Fountain*self*self

 Consonants -1 oct

Cons-1*Cons-2
Cons-1*AWell
Cons-1*AWellx2
Cons-1*AFount

 Consonants -2 oct
Cons-2*Cons-1

Cons-2*AWell
Cons-2*AWell x2
Cons-2*AFount

 Glassbreak
Glass*Cons-1
Glass*Cons-2
Glass*AWell stereo

Glass*AFount stereo

 Locks
Locks*Cons-1
Locks*Cons-2
Locks*AWell
Locks*AWellx2
Locks*AFount
Locks*AFountx2
 Bubbles
Bubbles*Cons-1
Bubbles*Cons-2
Bubbles*AWell
Bubbles*AWell x2
Bubbles*AFount
Bubbles*AFount x2
 Splashes
Splashes*Cons-1
Splashes*Cons-2
Splashes*AWell
Splashes*AWell x2
Splashes*AFount
Splashes*AFount x2
 Well
Well*Cons-1
Well*Cons-2
Well*AWell
Well*AWell x2
Well*AFount
Well*AFount x2
 Trickle
Trickle*Cons-1
Trickle*Cons-2
Trickle*AWell
Trickle*AWell x2
Trickle*AFount

 Waterstream
Water*Cons-1
Water*Cons-2
Water*AWell
Water*AFount
Water*AFount x2

III. Convolved with Water and other Sampled Material

Original Source Materials
 Bubbles2
 Bubbles1
 Splashes
 Splash
Well
 Trickle2
 Trickle3
 Rain
 River
 Waterstream
 Glassbreak3
 Glassbreak4
 Locks
 Consonants -1 oct

Cons-1*Splashes
Cons-1*Well
Cons-1*Trickle2
Cons-1*Trickle3


Cons-1*Water
Cons-1*Glass3
Cons-1*Glass4
Cons-1*Locks
 Consonants -2 oct

Cons-2*Splashes
Cons-2*Well
Cons-2*Trickle2



Cons-2*Water
Cons-2*Glass3
Cons-2*Glass4
Cons-2*Locks
 Glassbreak
Glass*Bubbles
Glass*Splash
Glass*Well1

Glass*Trickle3
Glass*Rain
Glass*River
Glass*Water
Glass3*Glass4
Glass*Locks
 Locks
Locks*Bubbles
Locks*Splashes
Locks*Well1
Locks*Well5

Locks*Trickle3
Locks*Rain
Locks*River
Locks*Water
Locks*Glass3
Locks*Glass4
Locks*Locks
 Bubbles

Bubbles*Splash


Bubbles*Trickle3
Bubbles*Rain
Bubbles*River
Bubbles*Water Bubbles*Glass3
Bubbles*Glass4

 Splashes
Splashes*Bubbles2
Splashes*Bubbles1
Splashes*Splash
Splashes*Splash-1oct
Splashes*Well
Splashes*Trickle2
Splashes*Trickle2-1oct
Splashes*Trickle3
Splashes*Trickle3-1oct
Splashes*Rain
Splashes*River
Splashes*Water
Splashes*Glass3
Splashes*Glass4
Splashes*Locks
 Well
Well*Bubbles
Well*Splash

Well*Trickle2
Well*Trickle2-1oct
Well*Trickle3
Well*Trickle3-1oct
Well*Rain
Well*River
Well*Water
Well*Glass3
Well*Glass4
Well*Locks
 Trickle2


Trickle2*Well


Trickle2*Rain
Trickle2*River
Trickle2*Water
Trickle2*Water-1oct

Trickle2*Locks
 Trickle3


Trickle3*Well1
Trickle3*Well5




Trickle3*Water
Trickle3*Glass3
Trickle3*Glass4
Trickle3*Locks
 Waterstream

Source material provided by the World Soundscape Project (trickle, locks, river, rain), David Monacchi (bubbles, splashes, and well), and Damian Keller (glass break, waterstream)

 Temple Bowl, transposed down a major 2nd, convolved with itself and transposed as follows (and heard mixed together in the piece):


convolved with itself

same transposed down 1 octave


same transposed down 2 octaves

same transposed up 1 octave


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