24.02.09 - Book of Hours – 23:24 - 320 kpbs

guest: Carlos Santos

Recorded 12.12.08
Dome of the National Pantheon, Lisbon

João Silva: crystal bowl
Paulo Raposo: space multi-channel diffusion and real-time processing
Carlos Santos: glass and bell

"Book of Hours" was recorded in the remarkable baroque central dome of the National Pantheon in Lisbon.

The musicians (and the audience) were 40 meters above ground level on a narrow circular balcony looking out over the abyss. The main sound source was a crystal bowl, played by João Silva, which was struck and resonated with a stick. Paulo Raposo processed these sounds and diffused them throughout the space via 6 channels, 4 of which were small self-powered speakers, arranged symetrically around the circumference of the dome. Carlos Santos also moved throughout the space and the audience with a small glass and a Tibetan bell.

The sonic interactions in "Book of Hours" aimed to reveal the inherently active qualities of the space, itself a performer in this acoustic dialog.