Metal Cans Chimes

Specifications

Workshop

H.K.B. Workshop
Bern, Switzerland
May – June 2009

Platform

Matted black wood
85 cm × 45 cm

Registers

Low · Medium · High
Low (left) → High (right)

Sets

Set A — 19 cans

High: 6 pieces

Medium: 8 pieces

Low: 5 pieces

Acquired by CIP Geneva · Available for rent

Set B — 26 cans

High: 12 pieces

Medium: 9 pieces

Low: 5 pieces

The Metal Cans Chimes were created in May–June 2009 at the H.K.B. Workshop in Bern, Switzerland, as part of the commission for Purple Ritual — a work written for the Geneva International Music Competition. Two complete sets were crafted simultaneously, sharing the same design principles and sonic identity.

Each set is mounted on a matted black wooden platform (85 cm × 45 cm). The cans are hand-assembled using hot glue knots and fitted with mobile covers that can be removed to maximise resonance. Red and yellow plastic wires allow the performer to isolate individual cans, controlling sound density and texture with great precision.

The instrument is organised into three registers — High, Medium, and Low — running from right to left across the platform. This layout offers a natural and intuitive playing surface for performers approaching the instrument for the first time.

Set A (19 cans) was acquired by the Centre International de Percussion in Geneva and is available for rent. Set B (26 cans) remains in the composer's collection.

Instrument Gallery