“Hello World” or my impromptu collaboration with the Westminster Abbey

Company of Ringers

My project for *AND came out of a fit of inspiration and serendipity (as many good

things do). When I signed on to this project, I did so out a sense of possibility more

than a long desire to collaborate with someone specific. My strategy was to spend

the summer being creative with friends and having something to submit by the time

the deadline came along. I assumed that my submission would be with one of my

close friends or regular collaborators. I definitely did not expect it to be with some

famous bell ringers that I never met.

I went to London in July with my wife and 5 year old son, Jacob, for some vacation

and we inadvertently found ourselves in the middle of the birth of Prince George.

We were staying across from Kensington Palace (where Kate and William were

waiting for the baby), accidentally outside the hospital when they were laboring,

and even outside of Buckingham Palace when they made the announcement of the

birth(just driving past in a cab with stomachs bursting with too much great Indian

food). We were just accidental participants in the frenzy (and I cant believe I am

telling this much detail…)

This all took a fantastic turn for the musical when we were strolling back across the

Thames the following afternoon. As we were walking, I heard an incredible sound

and did the annoying that that music dorks do (to the initial chagrin of my family).

We followed this sound as it reverberated through the streets until I came upon

Westminster Abbey. They were pealing the bells in honor of the new prince and it

was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! It was beautiful, chaotic, hypnotic, and wonderful. The grass

outside of the bell tower was littered with people taking in this sound, so we joined

them. My son engaged in trying to wrestle his mom and I got out my recorder and

went to work capturing some audio. We eventually all laying around for an hour

and I ended up with some great recordings of the Ringers doing their thing, mixed

with street noises and my sons occasional comments and other interruptions.

Once I was home, I wrote some music for me to play on some chimes, mixed it

with some of the sounds from the Abbey and the end result is a beautiful fanfare of

Trans-Atlantic chiming. Jacob even makes an appearance toward the end with one

of his “woo-hoo’s making it on the tape. (I should note that he takes great pride in

his contribution.) I guess this is my audio postcard and response to what I did on

my summer vacation.

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