Recital With a Forest, multispecies sound art performance within a forest, 2023-ongoing
Branching Songs Ensemble

Recital With a Forest is a multispecies sound art performance for a forest, weaving land-based material practice with trees and acoustics of place. The purpose is to draw attention to the gifts of forests and to advocate for their stewardship. Recital was first performed with Tuwanek Springs Forest, part of Sechelt Nation lands, an old growth ecology listed on the BC Timber cut block for clear-cutting.

The performance includes our hand-made instruments made of contact mics, biosensors, computer software, and land-based materials (cast offs from local trees, fabric with handmade plant dyes, found feathers, stones and shells) used in co-creation with the trees. The performance features a Tree Voice instrument activated through electromagnetic fields generated by living trees on site. The Ensemble uses techniques of listening to the forest soundscape, and responding with sound created through touch interaction with the trees.

Recital With a Forest is a sonic weaving of tree acoustics, human touch and forest liveliness — a multispecies creative event.
 

The Ensemble considers this work as a gesture of gratitude for forests.