i am sound

After months of hard work, preparation and design The Enchanted Forest has finally arrived and it is already proving to be a resounding success.

Earlier this year I was approached by Derek Allen, the chairman of the Highland Perthshire Community Interest Company to compose music and soundscapes for this year’s Enchanted Forest show.

After walking the delightful site at Faskally Woods near Pitlochry with the lighting designer Simon Wilkinson we agreed that the natural beauty of the forest itself should be our theme for this year’s show.

After discussing how my musical ideas correlated with Simon’s vision for the lighting we noticed a strong elemental theme developing, with fire, earth, wind and water all becoming strong features in the design. The Force Of Nature was born.

In keeping with the naturalistic feel of the piece I deemed it only right that the music should employ earthly sounds in its creation. Organic sounds such as wind, birdsong, human voice and the sounds of stone slate were played musically as part of an ethereal score that was true to the naturalistic tone of the show.

In one piece entitled “Firefly Chorus” I sampled a variety of bird tweets so they could be played musically and in polyphonic structure. In this piece the evening chorus of birdsong eventually becomes a human choir, as the woodland before them is gradually illuminated in beautiful splashes of light. A moment which I hope sparks the imagination of everybody who sees and hears it.

“Firefly Chorus” was just one of several sound installations requiring very specific placement and type of loud speaker. Marcin Buczek of DM Audio was in charge of installing the various sound systems and his expertise was hugely appreciated by everyone. I would like to thank DM Audio for their superb quality of service on this production.

There will be audio from the show on my recent work page in the next week, so please check back if you would like to have a listen!

“Force Of Nature” opened last Friday and was warmly received by patrons and press alike. It was a pleasure hearing such positive feedback from many of the audience members as they promenaded around the site. It would certainly seem that the decision to create a more naturalistic show has proven to be a huge success!

There are photographs by Graham Smith on the BBC website which I recommend you have a look at.

Force Of Nature runs until the 7th November. Buy tickets here.

I am delighted to have been asked to create the soundtrack for this year’s Enchanted Forest show, Force Of Nature.

For those who don’t know, The Enchanted Forest is a sound and light event in the picturesque Faskally Woods near Pitlochry. The audience are invited to see (and hear!) the forest like never before as they explore the various sections of the show.

This year’s show is lit by award winning lighting designer Simon Wilkinson and scored in music and soundscape by yours truly.

I have tried to create something truly magical this year that I hope will spark the imaginations of the patrons attending.

There is a trailer where you can get a sneaky peek at what I’ve been up to.

The Enchanted Forest runs from 22nd October — 7th Novemeber.

For more information why not visit the Enchanted Forest website.