Project Description

David Helbich – Some Things Cannot Be Undone. Others Can.


YOU NEED:

– a wine glass, filled with any drinkable liquid (so, no bleach…)
– a smartphone (or any other sound recording device)

Practice to play a tone with your finger on the glass.
 Learn how to start the tone quickly and play it without much interruption.
 Also try to play at the point where the tone almost breaks off or “starts stopping”, like a screeching door.
Once you are sure this more or less works, start to record yourself.

If you use your phone, either download a sound recording app, start a video (camera can be blocked) or send a voice message to someone. As long as you can play back the sound directly afterwards.

Here a PDF in case you want to print the illustration of the score.


THE SCORE:

Part One

1

  • Record yourself playing the tone on the glass for 25 seconds.

  • Raise a toast to someone you didn’t meet for many years

  • Take a large sip from the glass. 

2

  • Record yourself playing the glass for 25 seconds

  • Raise a toast to something you didn’t have for many years.

  • Take a large sip from the glass. 

3

  • Record yourself playing the glass for 25 seconds

  • Raise a toast to somewhere you haven’t been for many years.

  • Take a large sip from the glass. 

4

  • Record yourself playing the glass for 25 seconds

  • Raise a toast to sometime you haven’t thought of for many years.

  • Take a large sip from the glass, preferably finishing it.

Part Two

5

  • Now, playback the first recording and play along with your finger on the glass.

  • In thoughts, receive a toast from someone you haven’t met in many years, whilst playing. 

6

  • Fill your glass with the equivalent of a large sip of any liquid.

  • Play back the second recording (or, let the playlist jump to the second recording) and play along.

  • In thoughts, receive a toast from something you didn’t have for many years, whilst playing. 

7

  • Add the equivalent of another large sip to the glass.

  • Play back the third recording and play along.

  • In thoughts, receive a toast from somewhere you haven’t been for many years, whilst 
playing. 

8

  • Add a sip.

  • Play back the fourth recording and play along.

  • In thoughts, receive a toast from sometime you haven’t thought of for many years.

9

  • Add a sip.

Now, you have filled your glass again.


Bonus info:

If you send the recordings to someone, you can play them back on two apps simultaneously. That makes the polyphony even richer.

David Helbich
Antwerp (Belgium)
6 June 2020
www.davidhelbich.be

Commissioned by
Goethe Institut / Federal Foreign Office of Germany, PACT Zollverein and KANAL – Centre Pompidou Brussels.