Ambient Music
Dana E. Burns | Richmond IN | 03/05/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The title provides significant information for this magnificent recording. Long out of print, it is now available on CD. This is ambient music - as much a recording of the space (The Great Abbey of Clemente VI) as it is of Stuart Dempster and his instruments. This isn't a recording for everyone, but if you enjoy unusual aural experiences, and if you can take your meditational obligations seriously and allow yourself to be taken in by the sounds, the rewards of this recording are substantial. Stuart Dempster performs on trombone and on an instrument made from PVC pipe. He launches notes into the abbey where they hang suspended for several seconds, resonating and reverberating. He also creates multiphonic tones, and the whole experience is, for me, beautiful. These are relaxing sounds, and if you're willing to allow your sense of beauty in music to be stretched, this recording will reward your patience."