Beacons
Beacons is new 45 minute site-specific work for acoustic instruments, electronics and ocean with the musicians set on North Burleigh Headland, and the audience gathered around firepits on the beach. This is an immersive sonic meditation exploring the fluid boundaries of the coastline. Led by percussionist Vanessa Tomlinson and sound artist Lawrence English, featuring 15 leading Brisbane musicians collaborating with musicians from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. This new Australia Council commissioned work, pushes beyond the spectacular vista of the coast, offering a sensorial experience of little Burleigh Heads.
The work is for 3 trumpets, 3 saxophones, 6 trombones, 3 snare drums, tamtam, subwoofers and speakers. In addition all musicians play woodblocks, bowed chime bars, triangles and whistles.
The premiere performance took place at sundown, June 30th, 2022 as part of Bleach Festival. This video is by Tangible Media, with sound by ABC Classic FM (Costa Zouloui). The performance was made possible by the support of Placemakers, Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium, Creative Arts Research Institute.
Funding
Australia Council for the Arts
History
ERA Category
- Original Creative Work - Musical composition
Funding type
- Public funds
Eligible major research output?
- Yes
Research Statement
Research Background Beacons is the world premiere of a site-specific work for 15 acoustic musicians, electronics and ocean, co-composed by Lawrence English and Vanessa Tomlinson. Commissioned by Bleach Festival with financial support from the Australia Council for the Arts, the work was premiered on North Burleigh Headland on June 30th, 2022. The culminating work draws on three years of research into ocean activity, weather patterns, non-notated compositional transmission and choreo-spatial performance practice. Research Contribution Beacons builds on the listening practices of English and Tomlinson, proposing a trio with equally important sonic input from the ocean, acoustic musicians and electronics. This challenges conventions around how we listen – and how sounds abutt against each other – a solo trumpet accompanied by distributed morsecode sounds; bass frequencies interfering with ocean waves; choirs of scanning trombones altering our sonic horizon. Equally important in this event is the lighting design, the site, and the event experience (incorporating fire pits, rugs, and a ceremonial gathering of people). It continues work into site-specific performance in the Australian context, and Tomlinson/English explorations of the work of Annea Lockwood and others. Research Significance This work was a major commission through Bleach and OzCo, supported by Queensland Conservatorium performers. It was recorded by ABC Classic FM, with video documentation by Greg Harm. It was covered in local and state media (radio and television). As a finished work it is now being re-configured for other locations including in proximity to various white noise sites; ocean, highways, and waterfalls. In addition to the available video documentation, the music will also be released on a forthcoming album.Publisher
Bleach FestivalPlace of publication
Gold Coast, QueenslandConfidential / Culturally sensitive
- No