Crystal Counterpoint (2009)

I remember how I as a child would sneak out of bed and listen to the sounds coming from the bottom floor where my parents used to throw parties every now and then. The tinkling of glasses and the cheerful chattering and laughing made me both envious that I wasn´t aloud there and after some time a bit drowsy. More than one time I fell asleep on the brim of the staircase, drifting into a dream of tinkles and laughter. "Crystal Counterpoint" was made from the sound of those very glasses that once rocked me to sleep. For many years I wanted to make a piece based on the sound of glasses but for various reasons it was not until my parents house was sold that I finally got down to record all the glasses in the household (or rather those made for parties and dinners). All sounds in the piece are derived from glasses. Most of them from my parents house and most of those made from crystal. Fully aware that making a composition based on glass is far from original (many composers like J. Harrison, T. Wishart and H. Vaggione among others have done that) I just couldn´t resist. Hopefully the piece will add, in a positive way, my signature and temperament to a growing collection of musical contemplations on the universe of glass. The piece is dedicated to my wife Mireille Leblanc with whom I have shared much champange and joy.

Crystal Counterpoint was commissioned by IMEB, France and was composed in the studio Circe in Bourges may 2009.