Le Chaudron Sonore - the Super Drone!

US Ominous soundscapes from a copper basin 04/07/23

Last week we had the water concerto - and we continue on that aquatic theme with 'Le Chaudron Sonore' - a copper basin with water, and some reeds attached, which, when pulled, create an eerie drone soundscape. The sounds are far beyond what you'd expect to hear - with some incredible harmonic overtones. Details below on a recent project, inspiring children to make sound using the technique - has been roughly translated by Google:

In Brittany, a strange tradition consists of "pulling the reed" in order to make a basin vibrate during the feast of Saint-Jean. Sometimes also called " basin ringing ", this custom consists of sliding one's wet hands over rods which are placed on the edge of a copper basin, with a slight bottom of water. This creates a surprising vibration, causing the kitchen utensil to resonate and become a musical and sound instrument. While these old basins have mostly been in the attic for a long time, this project helps to perpetuate their sound use and invites us to listen to the secrets they may contain.

This tradition is the starting point of a work of creation and reflection around the place of sound in our contemporary world. The children were thus made aware of listening in all its forms, as well as of audio recording. The intervention of Maurice Langlois allowed the discovery of the uses and the handling of the basins and each class gave to hear the song of its sound cauldrons during the closing concert of the project.

Here's a video going back to the 1930s - which is worth waiting for the sonics to kick in:

More information (in French) here: https://felixblume.com/chaudronsonore/

About the author [midierror]: midierror makes nifty Max For Live devices, innovative music hardware, award winning sample packs and hosts a podcast speaking to people in the music world.