Sonde was a Quebec music group that explored the relationship between sound, music, space, and time by means of electroacoustic amplification and a method of improvisational discovery. Sonde members were inspired by Italian composer and McGill professor Mario Bertoncini who taught an Artists’ Workshop in 1974 to 1976 at the McGill Faculty of Music. Sonde’s instruments (sound sources) were constructed by members of the group, uniquely designed for particular compositions. Members of the group included Andrew Culver, Charles de Mestral, Keith Daniel, Pierre Dostie, Chris Howard, Robin Minard, Michael O’Neill, and Linda Pavelka.
The Sonde Collection comprises both Sonde papers and Charles de Mestral papers. The collection consists of correspondence, documentation, audio, and video pertaining to activities of the Groupe Sonde (formerly named MUD, Musical Design). The Charles de Mestral papers are the personal items of Charles de Mestral (b.1944), a member of the Sonde group from its inception.
