Flight

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Propeller Ensemble, Brewery Arts, 2023

Working with Propellor, a 12-piece ensemble directed by Jack McNeill, Flight premiered in Kendal’s Brewery Arts in October 2023.

Flight traces the connections between music, birds, humans and the science. I was commissioned to make 3 paper lanterns, that told the stories of 3 distinct birds - the swift, the willow warbler and the bar tailed godwit. Appearing at the culmination of a musical theatre piece the artworks mirrored the bells that traditionally were rung in Nelson, New Zealend when the Godwits arrive.

"Flight is a rare bird ….(it)… pushes the boundaries of sound-speech-music collaboration, fusing beauty, passion and politics into a fascinating, immersive exploration of birds and people." (Robert MacFarlane)

"What a joy to tumble into the sound world of Propellor’s Flight - a mesmeric auditory journey into bird migration, landscape and the art of listening. It bubbles with scientific enquiry, sonic wonder and reflections on our uneasy human coexistence with greater-than-human life. And through it all, tugging at your hand, such vivid new music." (Karine Polwart)

The original podcast an be listened to here