Transformed wind chimes: Nature-Symphony 61

Nature-Symphony 61 (Steely-wiry sunrise echoes in a dark and rocky mountain forest) — A rather complex chimes combination gives us some exquisitely contrasting sonorities. The bogeyman in the mix, which keeps making the ears (or at least my own ears!) get excited, is the Davis Blanchard Debussy Bells chime, whose whole-tone scale tuning and steely timbre repeatedly bring in a sense of secret things shining out of the shadows and beckoning for investigation. The apparently nonsensical use of the word 'wiry' in the title is for its onomatopoeic use, referring to the tonal characteristics of the Debussy chime.

The split of Layer 1, with a different recording taking over at nearly 39', makes for a quite dramatic brightening of tone then, for that later part of the work. Also, at times throughout, listeners using high-grade listening gear with extended bass response will hear breathtakingly low notes from the large bamboo chime, sounding as low as 3½ octaves below original.

Chimes used:

(Layer 1a — up to nearly 39')

1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (tuned to a melancholy-sounding Ancient Greek scale).

2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (5 tubes, moderately high-pitched, tuned to a radiant sunny-sounding pentatonic scale. Not to be confused with the larger and very different-sounding Davis Blanchard Pluto chime that also figures in some of my Nature-Symphonies).

3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (5 tubes, high-pitched, tuned to a radiant pentatonic scale).

4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (5 tubes, very high-pitched, tuned to a radiant pentatonic scale).

5. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (5 tubes, very high-pitched, tuned to a scale I haven't identified).

(Layer 1b — from nearly 39')

1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (tuned to a melancholy-sounding Ancient Greek scale)

2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (tenor) (tuned to a 'grand'-sounding Gregorian chant scale)

3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (5 tubes, moderately high-pitched, tuned to a radiant sunny-sounding pentatonic scale. Not to be confused with the larger and very different-sounding Davis Blanchard Pluto chimes that also figure in some of my Nature-Symphonies)

4. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (5 tubes, high-pitched, tuned to a radiant pentatonic scale).

5. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (5 tubes, very high-pitched, tuned to a radiant pentatonic scale).

(Layer 2)

1. Davis Blanchard Debussy Bells chime (8 tubes, medium-pitched, tuned in creative deployment of whole-tone scale)

(Layers 3–5)

1. Davis Blanchard Debussy Bells chime (8 tubes, medium-pitched, tuned in creative deployment of whole-tone scale).

2. Indonesian bamboo chime (large + small) (6 tubes each, with rather indeterminate tuning, with some hints of whole-tone scale) .

I made the Layer 1a and 1b recordings on 19 March 2014, on steep rough ground just below the Hunter's Path by Hunting Gate, highest point on that track, high up on north side of the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. Layer 2 recording was made on 24 February 2017, and the Layers 3–5 recording on 2 March 2017, both at the same spot by Hunting Gate.

Advisory
To get the best out of this, with its mass of detail, listen with high-grade headphones.

Recording four Woodstock chimes in the 19 March 2014 session. The recorder (light grey furry windshield) is perched on a small branch rather than on a tripod.

Techie stuff:

Recorder for the Layer 1 chimes was a Sony PCM-M10, with Røde DeadKitten furry windshield. It was placed on a tree branch by means of a GorillaPod.
Post-recording processing was to apply EQ in Audacity to correct for the muffling effect of the windshield, and more recent processing with A1 Stereo Control to greatly improve the atrocious stereo imaging of the PCM-M10.

Recorder for the other layers was Sony PCM-D100, with 2 nested custom Windcut furry windshields, placed on a Zipshot Mini tripod.
Post-recording processing was to apply EQ in Audacity to correct for the muffling effect of the windshields.

Layer 1a: Half-speed. Acoustic: back-of-cathedral

Layer 1b: Half-speed, then pitch-raised to give total reduction of a minor sixth below original. Acoustic: back-of-cathedral

Layer 2: Half-speed. Acoustic: back-of-cathedral

Layer 3: Half-speed. Acoustic: back-of-cathedral

Layer 4: Eighth-speed (3 octaves below original). Acoustic: moderate back-of-cathedral

Layer 5: Ditto speed, pitch-shifted to total 3 octaves plus tritone below original. Acoustic: back-of-cathedral

Please remember to give this recording a rating — Thank you!