AQUEDUCT 1 - Piped Music
the first part of a series of sonic responses derived from an artist residency with the Elan Links project in Wales.

A geopoetic concept piece.
As well as the water that flows through the 70 mile pipeline from the Elan Valley in the Welsh uplands to the English city of Birmingham, this piece expresses an idea of a two-way sharing - or flow - of watery sonic ambiences.
Echoes, voices, field recordings, temporal reverberations. Reciprocities.
Atmospherics and hydrospherics of the counterflows.
Rural and urban, and in-between.
Sound art and acoustic ecology.

Derived from soundtracks to experimental videosonic works presented at the 'Ten Acres of Sound' festival in Stirchley, Birmingham. Sept-Oct 2020
Six connected 5min works formed an installation curated by Artefact Projects.
https://www.tenacresofsound.com/antony-lyons

Sonic material was recorded in Elan Valley (Wales), Cannon Hill Park (Birmingham) & water pipeline locations in-between. Some additional material included from underground water pipelines in Bristol (recorded for a recent project titled 'Hydrocitizenship').

Some original choral contribution is from a live performance of:
'The Valley of Nantgwyllt', 
Sung by Rhayader Young Farmers Club Cast Members
written by Peter Cox
Directed by Peter Cox & Kerena Pugh
Composer & Musical Director, Bob Walters
Piano accompanist, Eleri Davies

AQUEDUCT 1

Extracted soundtrack from the artist essay-film 'No Concept' by Antony Lyons based on an artist residency at the Grand Canyon USA in 2011.
Broadcast on Radio Lafoes (Portugal) in 2013, in association with Binaural Nodar.
Music score by Alex Hogg
Narration by Claire Jackson
Film can be viewed at vimeo.com/51288400

No Concept - soundtrack

AQUEDUCT 2 - Pipe Dreams
Second in the Aqueduct Series
A collaborative composition by
Elan Links/ Elan Valley artist-in-residence, Antony Lyons
https://antonylyons.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-hills-are-alive.html
&
Sound Artist, Nikki Sheth
https://nikkisheth.myportfolio.com/about
https://soundcloud.com/nikki_sheth

An imaginative geopoetic concept piece.
As well as the water that flows through the 70 mile pipeline from the Elan Valley in the Welsh uplands to the English city of Birmingham, this piece expresses the concept of a two-way sharing - or flow - of watery sonic ambiences.
Echoes, voices, field recordings, temporal reverberations. Reciprocities.
Atmospherics and hydrospherics of the counterflows.
Rural and urban, and in-between.
Sound art and acoustic ecology.

Big thanks to the sheep farming community of the Elan Valley, especially to Dean, Jolene and Esme (Pen y Garreg Farm). Also to Cath and Krysia (CARAD) and Matt (Elan Links).
The soundtrack features 6min composed by Lyons, followed by 6min by Sheth.
Both sonic sections incorporate pipe-band samples from Birmingham pipe bands.
The Elan Valley Aqueduct was constructed over 100 years ago by Birmingham Corporation, to supply clean water to a rapidly expanding city. A visit to Rhayader Carnival by a Birmingham pipe band was annual celebratory event for many years after.
The artist residency is hosted by the Heritage Lottery Elan Links project, and is connected to the 'Here Commons Everybody' programme supported by Arts Council England and the CCRI (Countryside and Community Research Institute)
http://www.antonylyons.net/antony/Here_Commons_Everybody.html

A linked artist film features archival Super8 film generously provided by Pauline Lewis (Rhayader) mixed with new video footage by Antony Lyons.
https://vimeo.com/668271183

AQUEDUCT 2

Recorded at St Werburgh's City Farm Cafe, Bristol, with Bob on sax, and Jan on theremin etc. This was a component of a 2-year 'tidal landscapes' artist exchange between the Severn Estuary and the Wadden Sea coast of the Netherlands. Co-ordinated (in UK) by Owain Jones and Antony Lyons; in the Netherlands by Bettina van Hoven.

SOUNDS OF THE SEVERN

Experimental. Recorded from a steel cable on a 977m mountain, part of the Old Massif of Entre Douro e Tejo (Between Douro and Tagus).  Southwest of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, between the Côa river and the Spanish border. The recording was made close to the statue of Cristo Rei (Christ the King.
Part of a body of work by Antony Lyons, in conjunction with the Heritage Futures research project, and Rewilding Portugal.

At Cristo Rei - Marofa

Recorded by Antony Lyons. A long-held desire to walk onto the (old) Severn Bridge with a contact mic to record the cables. A replication attempt of this:
"...The sounds of the lasers were made by striking one of the suspension wires of the original Severn Bridge. The longer ones were used for the ships while the shorter ones were used for the hand guns..."
Related to the 'Sabrina Dreaming' project www.ccri.ac.uk/sabrina-dreaming/

STAR WARS SEVERN 3

Recorded by Antony Lyons.
Cables of the Old Severn Bridge. Picking up traffic.
This recording is linked to the experiment to replicate recordings used in the Star Wars film.
Related to the 'Sabrina Dreaming' project www.ccri.ac.uk/sabrina-dreaming/

STAR WARS SEVERN 2

Recorded by Antony Lyons. A long-held desire to walk onto the (old) Severn Bridge with a contact mic to record the cables. A replication attempt of this:
"...The sounds of the lasers were made by striking one of the suspension wires of the original Severn Bridge. The longer ones were used for the ships while the shorter ones were used for the hand guns..."
Related to the 'Sabrina Dreaming' project https://www.ccri.ac.uk/sabrina-dreaming/

STAR WARS SEVERN 1

NOVA
Formed in 2005 by Antony Lyons, the ways of working are experimental and collaborative. Many NOVA projects respond to ecological and marginal landscapes and explore intricate webs of relationships between people and place.
This 'NOVA formula' space on Soundcloud will feature sonic experiments, works-in-progress, soundtracks and symphonic ambient works.

NOVA formula

Popular tracks