The Litany for the Border sound artwork is now live!
It is streaming continually all day, and syncs up with the lights between 5:30 and 8:30 each evening.
Simply press the green PLAY button below and enjoy.
7 – 22 February, 5.30pm – 8.30pm
Litany for the Border is a new light and sound commission by artists Gareth Hudson and Toby Thirling, with music by composer Eleanor Cully Boehringer. Choreographed beams of light will shine into the sky and a brand-new piece of music created especially for Berwick will resound across the River Tweed in the depths of winter from three iconic sites around the town: the Berwick Barracks, Berwick Sports and Leisure Centre, and Berwick Infirmary.
Stream the music as you watch the lights from a distance, or head to the sites to be immersed in the soundscape and choral music. The event is not ticketed and can be experienced from many vantage points around Berwick-Upon-Tweed.
For more information about the project, guided walks, hot drinks and advice on routes around the lights, head to Maltings at Hide Hill, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AB. Open from 3pm – 6pm every day from 7 – 22 February.
About the project:
Rooted in the many voices of the Tweed Estuary, in oral history, field recordings, contemporary conversation and, most importantly, in expression through song, the project explores the past, present, and future of the people who live along the River Tweed, focusing on their ideas of spirituality and what gives their lives meaning.
The sound element of the installation is formed from three choral motets which draw on conversations and workshops with members of the public, as well as research into local sacred music histories. Additionally, artworks and sounds from a role-play workshop led by guest artist Adam James, encouraging residents to imagine the Tweed’s distant future, contributed to the composition of the third motet. The music was sung by local choirs, including a new Berwick Shines ‘community choir’ formed especially for the project.
Litany for the Border was commissioned by Berwick Shines, the cultural engagement programme for The Living Barracks, produced by The (Maltings) Berwick Trust.
Light up Berwick!
Gareth Hudson is an Artist, Filmmaker and video installation artist from County Durham, based in Newcastle. He Lectures in Fine Art, Photography and Film Making and has exhibited work in over 60 shows and festivals across 25 countries.
Toby Thirling is a sound recordist and sound artist from County Durham based on the South Coast; he works with award winning creatives alongside global brands, channels and production companies. They have collaborated for a decade, using cultural immersion and co-creational practices, to create installations that speak to the contemporary sublime, spiritual or transcendent experience, exploring the liminal spaces where one can encounter the numinous.
Eleanor Cully Boehringer is an artist and award-winning composer with a diverse artistic practice encompassing composition, performance, sound art, curation and installation. She has composed for ensembles across the UK including BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia, An Assembly and Musarc experimental choir. Eleanor studied Musical Performance at Brunel University, London and holds a Master’s degree in Composition from the University of Huddersfield. Originally from Norwich, she currently resides in Newcastle upon Tyne where she composes, teaches and collaborates with artists and community groups. Eleanor composes music drawing from poetic text, fragments of song, imitation and imagined sound.
The Living Barracks Project aims to restore and renew the historic Berwick Barracks site’s pivotal role as a central part of the town’s social and cultural life.
During the renovation, an art-led public engagement programme named ‘Berwick Shines’, led by the Maltings (Berwick) Trust, invites artists to explore and respond to the extensive heritage collections of the Barracks, the town, and what Berwick and its barracks has been, will be and could become, in partnership with the people of Berwick.
The Living Barracks Partnership is an exciting collaboration between Berwick Barracks Heritage Trust (BBHT), English Heritage, The King’s Own Scottish Borderers Association (KOSB), Maltings (Berwick) Trust and Northumberland County Council and proudly supported by The Arts Council England’s Cultural Development Fund (CDF), The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Northumberland County Council and other generous supporters.
The Cultural Development Fund is a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund administered by Arts Council England.