Duet No.1 for Synthesizer and The Singing Ringing Tree

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This is the first in a series of videos that document my five day recording session and performance series at the Singing Ringing Tree (SRT) in Burnley, UK. The SRT is a wind activated musical panopticon in Northern England. The sculpture was designed by architects Tonkin Liu and completed in December 2006. I performed accompaniment for the SRT binaural recordings simultaneously using a Novation Bass Station II connected to a USB battery. I also ran the Bass Station II through a Moog Minifooger Delay.

NOTE: This is a binaural recording combined with a monophonic synthesizer track. Although it sounds great through speakers, circumaural headphones must be used to experience the binaural effect.

The Singing Ringing Tree on Day One of my Five Day Session

This was also from the first day of the sessions and I was in awe of the SRT and its surroundings. I recorded two takes before a light rain disrupted my work. Overall the weather cooperated and I was only interrupted on a few occasions during my five days on location. In fact, I returned for a second, early-evening session on the first day after the rain cleared and was greeted by these two.

Ewe with her Lamb near the Singing Ringing Tree

8 thoughts on “Duet No.1 for Synthesizer and The Singing Ringing Tree”

  2. Hi John – We’re Mid Pennine Arts and we were the initiators and project managers for the Panopticons programme that included the SRT. We’d really like to share your blog on our SRT web page and through our monthly ebulletin. Would that be okay?

  4. Hi Melanie. Thanks for your comment! Please do share on your SRT page and monthly bulletin. I will be posting at least five more of these compositions over the next two or three months, so feel free to share them as they are released.

  6. Really great to see my hometown featured here in such a way. You have done what this installation was screaming out for.
    Wish I was around in Burnley to collaborate with you but I currently live in Latvia… where you are most welcome too! :D

  7. Thanks, Lee! I’m actually based in the States but originally from the UK (grew up in Wantage, Oxfordshire). Made the trip to the SRT specifically for this project. It was a mesmorizing and unforgettable five day pilgrimage, mostly spent alone at the panopticon.

  8. I love it. It would have been nice to hear the rain and heavy wind play the instrument…more of these types of things need to be in the world.

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