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 soundscape composition 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.
Chalice Well was
premiered in the Sonic Lab of the
Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) in Belfast, in March, 2009
on their 32-speaker rig positioned on four different
vertical levels, above and below the audience.
A shorter, related stereo work, Beneath the Tor (2010), takes the listener to an imaginary underground cavern beneath Glastonbury Tor in the UK. This chamber complements those visited in Chalice Well, and thus is a masculine counterpart to the feminine symbolism of that work. Beneath the Tor is dedicated to Miguel Azguime and Miso Music on the occasion of its 25th anniversary where it was premiered. Chalice Well is also the second section of The Isle of Avalon.
Chalice
Well
is available on the Cambridge Street Records CD, The
Elements and Beyond.
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Spectrogram of part 4 of the work
