The context

The art of bell ringing is part of the English tangible and intangible heritage. Bell ringers want to encourage greater interest in the traditional sound scape in the surrounding local communities, especially among young people, so that this local know-how is not lost. The project aims to enhance a heritage that is threatened by the lifestyles and mobility of the local residents.

The artwork

David Ward and Orlando Gough created a multi-part performance with members of the church and local people.

A new series of contemporary bells ringing was composed as well as a set of polyphonic songs using texts by David Ward on the relationship between bells and war.

Image projections inside and outside the church will aim to make visible activities related to the bells that are normally invisible.

The artists

David Ward is a British artist born in 1951. He works in several media such as painting, photography, performance and sound. He has a history of collaborating with choreographers and composers in his practice. His work can be found in public spaces and in major British collections.

Orlando Gough, born in 1953 in Brighton, is a composer mainly for the performing arts (opera, dance, theatre...). He also directs The Shout, a choir of diverse soloists and devises and directs large-scale site-specific choral pieces.