Pierre Sauvageot: Harmonic Fields

On our first day in Weymouth, we went to the amazing sound installation in an old Portland quarry, Harmonic Fields. This was part of Inside Out Dorset and the piece itself was part of the London 2012 Festival (the 2012 cultural olympiad).

Harmonic Fields is an ensemble of 500 instruments, played by the wind. Harnessing this natural energy, life is breathed into the orchestra, creating a symphonic soundscape, unique to each visitor.

Pierre Sauvageot, creator of Harmonic Fields explains. “We’re constantly bombarded with new noises, which amplify, until we no longer listen. Sounds from Harmonic Fields are quiet and come at their own pace, like waves on the seashore. It is music in its simplest, most primal form.”

It was an overcast and windy day – the rest of the week was sunny and calm, and apparently there was less wind to play the instruments. In fact there was so little wind later in the week that the last day of the Paralympic sailing was cancelled.

Here's a video I found on YouTube...

My videos....




There was a lot of art on in Weymouth when I was there, although I'd missed much of the work in the B-Side Multimedia Festival as it was in its last week. Managed to see Stig Evans' Portland Colour Library of Portland and Beijing artist Lu Zheng's Waiting For Godot, both on Chisel Beach at Portland, but unfortunately missed a live gig by Bristol improv duo Eyebrow at Sandsfoot Castle since it was our last night.