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The Rising Sea Symphony

The dramatic effects of climate change evoked in words, sounds and a powerful new musical work composed by Kieran Brunt.

The dramatic effects of climate change evoked in words, sounds and a powerful new musical work.

Over four movements of rich and evocative music, the listener is transported to the front line of the climate crisis, with stories from coastal Ghana – where entire villages are being swept away by the rising sea – to Norway’s Svalbard archipelago in the high arctic where the ice is melting with alarming speed. The dramatic final movement ponders two contrasting possible outcomes to the crisis.

In an ambitious new work originally commissioned by ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 3 for their Between the Ears strand, Kieran Brunt weaves together electronic, vocal and orchestral elements recorded in isolation by players from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Philharmonic. Each musician recorded their part individually at home and these recordings were then painstakingly combined by sound engineer Donald MacDonald to create a symphonic sound.

Documentary producer Laurence Grissell and composer Kieran Brunt have collaborated to produce an ambitious and original evocation of the causes and consequences of rising, warming oceans.

Credits

Composer: Kieran Brunt
Producer: Laurence Grissell

Electronics and violin performed by Kieran Brunt
Orchestral parts performed by members of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Philharmonic
Vocals: Kieran Brunt, Josephine Stephenson & Augustus Perkins Ray of the vocal ensemble Shards

Sound mixed by Donald MacDonald

Interviewees:
Sulley Lansah, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Accra Office
Hilde Fålun Strøm and Sunniva Sørby, heartsintheice.com
Blaise Agresti, former head of Mountain Rescue, Chamonix

Blaise Agresti recorded by Sarah Bowen

Wildlife recordings by Chris Watson

Newsreaders: Susan Rae & Tom Sandars
Adverts voiced by Ian Dunnett Jnr, Luke Nunn, Charlotte East, Cecilia Appiah

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Mon 7 Aug 2023 22:30

Broadcasts

  • Sun 18 Oct 2020 18:45
  • Fri 19 Feb 2021 23:30
  • Mon 7 Aug 2023 22:30

Binaural sound

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