I’ve just added my contribution to the Landlinks project on to radio aporee at https://aporee.org/maps/projects/landlinks
If you’ve not come across radio aporee before, its a great way to explore the “sounds of the world”. Working as another way to think about landscape and located sound I’ve used it before for walking projects – https://aporee.org/maps/projects/callanaiswk
Have a listen; I hope you enjoy it.
I am delighted to say that my work “The 42 walks of Contención Island” has been shortlisted for the Sound Walk September 2020 Awards. You can see the full shortlist here – https://walklistencreate.org/2020/10/15/sound-walk-september-2020-awards-shortlist/.
Winners and honourable mentions will be announced in an online ceremony in mid-January.
“So, here’s the idea … In the face of the containment measures we have all found ourselves in we have been allowed out of our homes for one period of exercise a day. A containment strategy is vital for the containment of the Covid-19 Pandemic, but I wanted to respond to it artistically. I also wanted to produce something that could be used by others when they weren’t, or couldn’t get, outside. From the start of the UKs lockdown, every day I walked from my house, for 20 minutes in any and all directions; I mapped my route and recorded my walking. At first when I‘d walked for about 20 minutes I stopped, for a brief rest, then return to my house. But after a while I had made Contención Island (contención is containment in Esperanto – an international name for an international pandemic). I walked until easing started. The full versions of the walks are all available at www.martinpeccles.com along with the daily poem, a mesostic, and the emerging map of the island. So … listen to the walks – imagine the island in your head, create your own walk, make your own map, enjoy. Stay safe and well in these strange times.”
You can listen to the work via ResonanceFM at 23:00, Sunday 4th October 2020 and, from Tuesday 6th October via the framework radio website, via Mixcloud, and via (Apple (and presumably others)) podcasts – links below …
ResonanceFM – https://www.resonancefm.com/programmes/558d773650000b8db200002a – broadcasts on 104.4 FM to central London, DAB to Greater London, nationally on Radioplayer and live streamed to the rest of the world
and, from (maybe) Monday 5th but definitely Tuesday 6th October,
via framework radio website and an internet browser – http://www.frameworkradio.net
via Mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/framework_radio/ ]
via (Apple) podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/framework-radio/id346641201
International Dawn Chorus Day this year was on Sunday 3 May. This was during lockdown and during the time that I was making my lockdown walks, which have become The 42 walks of Contención Island [https://martinpeccles.com/other-sound-works/the-42-walks-of-contencion-island/ ] – more of which later. The walk I made on IDCD will be featuring in a Tyneside Sounds Society: Dawn Chorus Broadcastathon.
I’ll let Michael from The Tyneside Sounds Society, take up the story …
“The Tyneside Sounds Society invited people living in Tyneside and the north east of England to record the dawn chorus between 3am and 6am as part of a very special regional RecordAthon. Over 30 people took part, recording on phones, fancy bits of kit and also simple digital recording devices and microphones. People submitted over 13 hours of recordings; some long, some short – all fantastic! So what better way to present them then have an uninterrupted dusk till dawn BroadcastAthon on the amazing Star & Shadow Radio. Broadcast starts this Saturday 10pm and will finish around 11am the next day. I don’t expect you to stay up all night but it’ll be a nice chilled thing to go to bed and wake up to. You’ll also be able to listen to most of it via the Star & Shadow Radio showreel.”
You’ll be able to listen to it HERE >>> https://mixlr.com/star-shadow-radio <<<
06:42 – 07:28, wind NE 2 gusting 3, temp 8C (feels like 8)
A report on plans for coming out of lockdown is leaked to the BBC as Downing Street plays catch up over the membership and deliberations of SAGE.
to the eastern peninsuLa cross thE main sound along the gArdens a small monKey puzzle tree grows in a front garden a holly tree dome on a Stick pass through a Pulse of vehicles step into the green quIet ivy truNks sawn at the tree’s base pass a quarry Dimmed with shrubs the two runners dIstance-pass two ducks Stand on the edge of the weir move along above the burn’S flow a gatehouse roof tilEs missing a blackcap muMble-sings behind a wall along the Beat of the channel of sound the next train at pLatform two is for regent centre in the back-allEy plants grow in bins and buckets
04:19 – 05:04, wind NE 1 gusting 2, temp 7C (feels like 7)
An NHS doctor writes of government ‘lauding heroes’ whist watching them die without PPE.
around the soutH haven
a basement hum frOm a block of flats
light in the Windows of an early riser
over the dene the blackbirD sing
amongst three blackbirds A wren trills
tilled rows lie still in the gatheRing dawn
the crow’s call echoEs around the streets
the exuberant blasT of a wren
song ecHoes along the terraces
amongst the blackbirds a singlE song thrush sings
the streetlight goes off as daY approaches
04:36 – 05:18, wind W 3 gusting 4, temp 7C (feels like 5)
There is scepticism about the government claim to have met its ‘100,000 tests a day by the end of April’ target.
to the wesT coast through a dawn chorus in civil twilight the streEts are empty rolling waves of blackbird Song sweep by from far off the fainT shush of traffic a siren sings beneath an aIrcraft’s roar a scooter droNes by sparrows cheepinG and blackbird silhouettes’ blue tit sings in the gaThering dawn through the tIght sounds of a narrow canyon walk into the teMpo of a chaffinch song pigeons call as sunrisE approaches four minutes to Sunup
06:20 – 07:01, wind W 2 gusting 3, temp 7C (feels like 5)
The virus reproduction rate (r) needs to be kept below one to halt the pandemic.
along the shore of south hAven a mistle thrush pale oN the grass over the fence neat Rows of potatoes step through the stream Of sounds a verge oF sweet cicely bluebell and dead nettle a bLackcap flies up into the sycamore trolls guard an allEyway gate pigeonS display at the roadside rosebay willow herb growS under the eaves boutique cloThing home delivery available military general as rHinoceros a spaniel runs Amongst the cows I straiN to hear the lark’s song the squeak-clang Of gates an alder grows feNced against the cows scattered feathErs mark a kill
07:04 – 07:47, wind S 2 gusting 4, temp 8C (feels like 6)
There is speculation about whether the government will meet today’s target for the number of daily tests.
staying in The mid-lands step off to avoid thE weeping willow roosting pigeons Splatter the pavement a builder reTurning to work over a wall Is a back-of-garden rubbish heap discarded bottles disappear uNder weeds three starlings foraGe behind the church a crow inspects The gutter cross the chAnnel of sound a black cat passes a bentley at numbeR one the roofline Goes up in steps north to south the enduring allurE of allotments a deep red maple Tops the wall back across the Sound
06:29 – 07:13, wind E 1 gusting 2, temp 6C (feels like 6)
There is a to and fro of enthusiasm for wearing face masks in public – “not very effective” versus “what harm can it do?”
off To the west coast mailbOx grey-greened with moss and lichen a bin-wagon returns for a Missed-bin last yeAr’s flowers brown the buddleia waves of Sound lap along the western shore roman doric marKs a garden pavier and gravel gardens fOr cars a lost hat placed on a gaRden wall a bricked-iN gateway the slug trails tO the top of the wall pass The sparrow colony the walled Triangle full of maple seedlings chalked bricks and a shrek swamp On the pavement gable end picked out in creaM bricks wooden gates let onto A cobbled yard NHS Staff priority at the bank a dunnocK’s song at the turn into the alley
