Sound Emergence invited Pond (myself and Rosie Carr) to perform at one of the This Place Meant locations - Minster Abbey, on the Isle of Sheppey.
From the event flier:
Minster Abbey, also known as The Abbey Church of St Virgin Mary and Saint Sexburgha, was founded as a nunnery in 664 AD by Queen Sexburga, and has been a place of worship for over 1400 years.
Having been badly damaged in the 9th century it was rebuilt in the 12th century with an unusual arrangement of two adjacent “churches”, the Northern Church being for the nuns and the Southern Church for parishioners.
Interesting to note that above the north-east door there is an unusual carving of the ‘Green Man’, an ancient symbol of fertility and evidence that the original builders were in some way supporting both ancient religions and Christianity.
Rooted in the rhythms of nature, Pond’s sound is informed by more than human life, using a range of techniques (bio data synths, hydrophones, contact mics, and more) to tune into the natural world. Pond use tape loops and improvisation to transport audiences into imagined commons and wild spaces.
We performed alongside Sasha and André, who flooded the church with the resonances of an ensemble of gongs and a gorgeous mono-string instrument.