Beautiful iron friend
Mar 23, 02:57 PM
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"On first hearing the Notre Dame bells recording, I had a mental image of the iconic Cathedral standing majestically. I realised however, I knew very little about the bells themselves.
"Historically bells had a functional societal role delivering information and marking important events, not just noting the time or summoning the faithful to worship. The passing bell for instance conveyed coded messages announcing a persons death, as well as declaring their age and gender. We have now all but lost this important connection to the bells as populations grow and become more disparate where church buildings are no longer central to our lives.
"The bell that can be heard in the recording is the oldest, and most iconic of Notre-Dame's bells called Emmanuel. I wanted ‘Beautiful Iron Friend’ to be a simple love song to Emmanuel in an attempt to try and reconnect with this ancient artefact, thinking what emotions she felt whilst delivering her messages and wondering what historical insights she could impart if she were able. The original Notre Dame bells recording is also included to mark time throughout the track with the instruments emulating the striking of the bell."
Avignon cathedral reimagined by Simon Holmes.
———————
This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights.
Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage
"Historically bells had a functional societal role delivering information and marking important events, not just noting the time or summoning the faithful to worship. The passing bell for instance conveyed coded messages announcing a persons death, as well as declaring their age and gender. We have now all but lost this important connection to the bells as populations grow and become more disparate where church buildings are no longer central to our lives.
"The bell that can be heard in the recording is the oldest, and most iconic of Notre-Dame's bells called Emmanuel. I wanted ‘Beautiful Iron Friend’ to be a simple love song to Emmanuel in an attempt to try and reconnect with this ancient artefact, thinking what emotions she felt whilst delivering her messages and wondering what historical insights she could impart if she were able. The original Notre Dame bells recording is also included to mark time throughout the track with the instruments emulating the striking of the bell."
Avignon cathedral reimagined by Simon Holmes.
———————
This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights.
Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage