Bell(N)

September 4 1994, Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason, San Francisco

composed by Randall Packer

visuals by Glenn McKay

Bell(N) is a sonic journey through the timbres of bells. Bells and bowls were collected from all over the world: Japan, Tibet, India and recorded, processed, manipulated through the aid of digital sampling techniques. Combined with synthesized bell sounds, appropriately through the incorporation of FM synthesis, the result is a collage, more a celebration of the rich sounds of these instruments, their mysterious almost magical quality, the extraordinary sense of ancient ritual embodied in their reverberation.

This work is dedicated to my friend and colleague Belén García-Alvarado.