Sound Field, Cheeseburn

Sound Field (Distanced, Together), Cheeseburn

When I first saw this hemmel in the field, I imagined the sounds of bells – perhaps because of the thought of the cows that once took shelter in it.  The word hemmel is a traditional Northumbrian word for shed.  It is possibly allied to the same word in Dutch, meaning heaven, canopy.

The idea of the gong (tam tam) emerged from this first impression but was both a visual and sonic response to the building and its setting in this fenced field, up from the river.  Together, they are both architecture/sculpture and instrument. The way the sound of the gong can emerge and fade into the changing sounds of the environment – a presence then an absence – really interests me. 

The name of the piece offers an invitation to take time to listen.  It also links to our recent heightened awareness of distancing ourselves.  The intention of the photography project is to layer all the images so that the listeners appear to be standing together.