Fellfoot voices – an exploration of sound

Fellfoot voices blog by sound artist Jeremy Bradfield

In late spring 2023, myself and fellow sound artist, Jayne Dent, began an exciting series of workshops for the North Pennines AONB Partnership as part of ‘Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same’, the Fellfoot Forward scheme’s 2023 community arts project. We had the enormous pleasure of working with Penrith based charity, 4Eden, who work with and support adults with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder.

Through a series of five workshops, Jayne and I got to know a brilliant group of people through a mutual exploration of sound recording in local green spaces. After time at 4Eden’s headquarters, meeting everyone and learning how to operate some small portable field recorders, we visited Thacka Beck Nature Reserve Penrith and Raven Beck woods in Kirkoswald.

The group were fascinated to use the microphones to really focus in on various miniature sound sources, as a way of pointing a sonic magnifying glass on all the natural and often overlooked splendour on offer. We encouraged them to wander freely through the landscape and capture whatever sounds they found interesting. Some particularly popular activities were capturing sounds from paper and crayon tree rubbings, a skipping stone river splash contest, and some outdoor karaoke using a tree and drum stick branches for accompaniment.

After sifting though the many wonderful recordings from our outdoor excursions, Jayne and I converted them into various tactile electronic musical instruments, which could then be interacted and performed with. The group were engrossed in the ability to musically revisit and reimagine these sounds, through various degrees of abstraction, via a drum machine, sampler, midi keyboard, and vocal effects unit.

After each individual had spent time noodling and experimenting with different instruments through headphones, all the separate musical outputs were played together through a speaker in the room and we had a big jam session. One particularly profound moment for me was when 4Eden member, Graham, became the conductor, leading the group in an orchestral symphony of their own reworked field recordings. Graham became absorbed for several minutes in a wash of slow and fluid arm movements, physicalising the sound with his arms in a ‘swimming’ motion, as the group responded musically to his gestures.

Our project culminated in a collective curation of our favourite recordings. We drew pictures of each sound ‘moment’ and then rearranged the pages on a table to create a graphic score, from which Jayne and I were able to assemble the final piece, a patchwork sound walk through our memorable interactions with landscape and place.

It has been incredibly inspiring working with 4Eden and its members. They do incredible work to provide opportunities within the local community, to support independent learning, and employment. The final piece is broadcast on Fellfoot Radio, a 24/7 channel of sounds and music from the Fellfoot Forward scheme area. You can listen here.