I’m off to Strasbourg to play a couple of  concerts at the International SaxOpen Conference and SaxOpen Extended fringe festival with my fellow composer and performance partner Glen Gillis.

 

At the SaxOpen we will be debuting a couple of new pieces and resurrecting a couple of old classics. I am excited about performing “Aurora Australis (live)” where i get to electronically emulate the 45-second reverberation of Ft. Worden cistern in real time. At last, technology has caught up with my creative vision. If you are curious, here is a slightly edited version recorded during a practice session in Saskatoon last month.

Some of our “classic” compositions will include performances of: “Didgeriblu,” and “Canis Lupus,” which were released on Glen Gillis’ Sax Spectrum I & II albums, in 2009 and 2014 respectively.

I have packed a raft of microphones, electronics, and sewerphones for the trip. I wonder why TSA always has a field day inspecting my bags.

I have never been to Strasbourg before, but I understand that it is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in north eastern France. It is also the official seat of the European Parliament. I will be flying in to Frankfurt, Germany, and taking a three-hour bus ride to Strasbourg just across the border. My return to Germany will undoubtedly bring back fond memories of my tour of duty in Germany with the US Army from 1972-1974. I’ll keep you posted.