To the talent and ardour of the young fifty-something Jonty Harrison

Paris, 15 April 1985: a few of us composers were gathered in Radio France’s Studio 123, waiting for a GRM workshop to begin. One of us, in order to test the system, transferred in its circuits the contents of a tape reel. I immediately recognized a familiar sound. To this composer whom I had never met, I said: “Are you Jonty Harrison?” It was him, his identity revealed to me by his music. For what we were hearing was Klang, a brilliant lesson in electroacoustic composition.

Since we met through that piece, it felt natural to base this short tribute to the composer, the professor and my dear friend Jonty on the first few sounds of his unforgettable Klang.

— Francis Dhomont [English translation: François Couture, ix-20]

Glank-50 was realized in 2002 at the composer’s studio in Montréal (Québec).

Premiere

• April 27, 2002, Bottoms Up!, Concert Hall — The Barber Institute of Fine Arts — University of Birmingham, Birmingham (England, UK)