THE WOODS will soon be alive with the sound of music at Compton Verney.
The Living Symphonies, running from April 22 to August 6, is the latest visitor experience at the country house art gallery – combining contemporary music, the natural world, and cutting-edge science to
It is a musical portrayal of the moment-by-moment activity of Compton Verney’s woodland ecology. Created by British artists Jones/Bulley (Daniel Jones and James Bulley) and hidden in the woodland, an invisible array of sensors, software and technology conjures an encounter between science, culture and nature.
The artists explained: “Living Symphonies is a musical composition that develops in the same way as a forest ecosystem. It portrays the beautiful and complex intricacy of a forest’s wildlife, plants and atmospheric conditions, creating an ever-changing symphony that is heard amongst the woodland itself.”
By surveying the installation site across the seasons, and working with local wildlife experts, ecologists and volunteers, the duo have mapped the location’s ecology in minute detail, creating a simulation of all the species found in the area.
This acts as a conductor for thousands of fragments of music, responding to seasonal changes, the time of day and real-time weather conditions.
A symphony of sound unfolds in real-time throughout the undergrowth, trees and canopy, with each organism — from fungi and mosses to insects, birds and mammals — portrayed by musical movements composed from a vast score of material recorded with over 50 musicians.
The site specific aural adventure begins with a gentle stroll through the historic ‘Capability’ Brown grounds at Compton Verney, before visitors reach the ‘Boathouse Coppice,’ an expanse of woodland where the Living Symphonies artwork is located.
Compton Verney CEO Geraldine Collinge said: “Living Symphonies is a meditative and thought-provoking sound installation that beautifully illustrates Compton Verney’s mission to connect our visitors with art, nature and creativity. In the midst of a climate and biodiversity crisis this installation reminds us all of the of the wonder of our native species and how we can access nature on our doorstep.”
Visit www.comptonverney.org.uk for further details.
