Raising a glass after a concert in Hungary seemed like a pleasant way to round off the evening.
But tasting the local tipple would have long-standing consequences for harpist Rhodri Davies.
The Aberystwyth-born composer innocently accepted the hospitality shown to him after the show in Budapest almost twenty years ago - and it would leave him without a sense of smell for years to come.
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"It was 80% proof so it was a lethal concoction", said Rhodri, who now lives in Swansea.
"Someone offered me a sample of the homemade drink. It was just some local hospitality, and obviously the locals were used to it.
"I didn't drink much of it; you can be wary of some locally-brewed drinks because can be dangerous, and even make you blind.
"But it destroyed my taste and sense of smell considerably. I was devastated. So many smells have memories, memories of childhood.
"And without a sense of smell it could be dangerous if there were a gas leak for instance. I was concerned".
In a bid to return his sense of smell, Rhodri underwent a series of acupuncture sessions.
He also learned about smell training, involving the repeated stimulation of the smell nerves, which have been shown in some studies to help recovery.
"Although there has been a partial recovery over the years both senses remain diminished", he said.
"There are still very subtle things that I can't smell.
"And then with Covid, a lot of people who caught it also lost their sense of smell, and some would 'train' themselves with essential oils.
"Traditionally musical scores privilege the eye but I was keen to investigate how might sound be inspired by different types of smell"
The result he came up with is a musical experience that combines with sound.
Called 'Smound', or in Welsh, 'Clywd Arogl' (Hearing Smell), it is being unveiled at Bangor Music Festival this weekend, February 11 - 12.
"Listening to a concert the audience never see the score, what the musicians are playing," said the 50-year-old
"In the same way they may not smell what the performers are smelling either. This will be the first time I will have done this and it’s a complete experiment.
The 'sonic installation' presents a combination of sound and aromas including ground coffee beans, baked bread, lilies, garlic, Jasmin plants, essential oils, incense, lavender, earth, hay, leaves and even musty books. The audience is then invited to interact with the smells.
It is the latest creation by Rhodri, whose previous installations have included destroying the harp. In 2010 he was longlisted for the Northern Arts Prize and in 2012 he received the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award.
More information about the performance and Bangor Music Festival can be found at www.bangormusicfestival.org.uk
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