A Sound Sculpture

St Peter’s Church in Wolfhampcote, Warwickshire stands solid and steadfast in a patchwork of fields, today empty of people, but once the site of wars, royal visits and massive industrial developments in road, rail and canals. The humps and bumps of a Deserted Medieval Village are still visible nearby; the walls of the church have seen thousands of years of history.

But there is life in these old walls yet. Keen to revitalise the church, the Friends of Wolfhampcote Church have a vision for St Peter’s to become a community arts venue. Boosted by a grant from Central Warwickshire Villages LEADER Funding, the church has hosted concerts and tea parties and starred in a short film. Excitingly, it is soon to feature in an innovative sound sculpture. As Tim Ellis of Hybrid Arts explains, ‘a sound sculpture is the end result of selected sounds being combined into a larger sound object. The sounds can be used as they are found or manipulated beyond recognition. The sound sculpture is a time based art form.’

Recording the bells in three locations – from a distance, from outside the church and from inside, Tim aims to create a journey in place and time using the sound of the 2 bells plus local ambient noise. You will hear local people, music, wildlife, ambiance and of course the bells.

The finished sound sculpture will be available to hear on the website from mid April 2012 and through smart phones on location at the church using a QR code reader app.

 

Post by Jo Cross, Regional Development Officer, The Churches Conservation Trust.