Although the garden has a relaxing feel to it, that’s not to say that it is silent. In fact, rarely does a moment pass when there isn’t something to listen to. Most of these are short in duration, and appear random, such as birdcalls; however, there is also the distant sound of speeding traffic and, every so often, a passing plane.
With the exception of the aircraft, the garden’s sounds appear to be subtle and delicate, encouraging one to listen carefully and enjoy the variations. The sound of the wind on the leaves of the different plants creeps around the garden. Each plant, with the different size branches and foliage has a subtly different sound and rhythm, and the result is an ever-changing background of white noise.
I am interested in not only the sounds that are in the garden and around the ‘Oriental Pond’ (where my installation will be finally located) but of the shape and timing of these sounds. My favourite recurring phrase at the moment is that of the wind passing through the trees, moving the branches and the leaves more and more until there is the sound of nuts hitting the ground, followed by a few leaves gently landing.
