Chant/Songe is a duet between the clarinetist and a dream version of himself. This imaginary duo is accompanied by resonant strings and a hand drum (both synthetic, and capable of rather unusual transformations). This intimate, ghostly ensemble follows the clarinetist through a variety of increasingly extreme moods. As in a dream, the music gradually accumulates distorted and fantastical versions of the clarinet's song, refracting and combining them in odd ways. Chant/Songe was written for and is dedicated to F. Gerard Errante. The world the clarinet inhabits in the piece was inspired by his sound and presence as a performer. Chant/Songe could not have come into being without his help and collaboration.
The work is the first I know of to use a score-following system that tracks rhythm and tempo. In the most recent version, I've switched from my 2004 system to a more recent one developed by Arshia Cont, which is generally more reliable (though it doesn't have a "way out" if it gets lost, which I occasionally miss - especially since the piece is intended to be "point-and-shoot," requiring no computer operator).