Rhys Chatham - A Crimson Grail (For 400 Electric Guitars) (2007)


"... Apparently the answer lies in simple math. If 100 guitars could sound so great, shouldn't 400 sound even better? In 2005, Chatham set out to test this theorem. Commissioned by the City of Paris to compose something for their all-night La Nuit Blanche Festival, he wrote the ambitious 'A Crimson Grail (Moves Too Fast To See).' Gathering 400 guitarists (along with longtime comrades Ernie Brooks on bass and Jonathan Kane on hi-hat) and four leaders listening to his directions through headphones, Chatham led a 12-hour sonic marathon. Starting on the steps of France's largest church, the Sacré-Cœur, the ensemble ended the show inside, beneath a 272-foot ceiling. Nearly 1000 people witnessed this mini-miracle, while thousands more watched on television throughout France. ..."
Pitchfork
NY Times: What Is the Sound of 200 Guitars Wailing?
Rhys Chatham
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vimeo: Rhys Chatham: A Crimson Grail (Live)
YouTube: A Crimson Grail (for 400 Electric Guitars) 53:33

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