“No man is an island, entire of itself . . . any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
As part of the Armistice Centenary commemorations, I'm working with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra to create a new piece, Meditation (after Donne), which takes as its inspiration the massed ringing of bells as Armistice was declared. It's going to be a simple song for orchestra, with performers and audience surrounded by a constantly evolving tapestry of tolling bells created by live electronics.
We want to involve as many members of the public as possible in this piece, so we're extending an open invitation to people from across Scotland and beyond to send in recordings of their local bells to be included in the electronics part. You don't need any fancy equipment – even a recording from your phone would be welcome!
For more information, and to submit your bell recordings, please visit the project's dedicated website, ArmisticeBells.com.