Located at Somerset House, 'River Sounding' creates an imaginary acoustic map of the Thames, taking visitors through Somerset House's atmospheric subterranean spaces, normally closed to the public, and out to the Great Arch on the Embankment, highlighting the building's historical connection to the river.
'River Sounding' at Somerset House features a series of different sound sequences, recorded by Bill Fontana along a one hundred mile section of the Thames stretching from Richmond to Southend. Projected through loudspeakers installed at river level, in the hidden pathways beneath the courtyard, visitors will be immersed in the rich musical vocabulary of the Thames, from whistling buoys and steam pumps to hidden underwater sounds and rushing water at river locks. The sounds will be played alongside his video images of the recording locations, which include Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, the Thames Barrier and the historic Teddington Lock.
As well as revealing the rich and varied sound worlds of the Thames, 'River Sounding' will pay homage to Somerset House's historical connection to the river. It will also be complemented by a series of talks and film screenings engaging with River Sounding's themes, which will take place in and around Somerset House.
Trained as a composer, Bill Fontana (born 1947, USA) is internationally known for his pioneering works in sound, which examine the nature of our acoustic environment. He has presented his 'sound sculptures' at leading museums around the world, as well as at iconic locations in many of the world's great cities, including London's Millennium Bridge and Big Ben, San Francisco's Golden Gate and Paris's Arc de Triomphe. He lives and works in San Francisco and is represented in the UK by Haunch of Venison.
(Lee Baldock)
