Sound and Music Podcast Episode 10: Climate: Place

Share this page

Composers Hanna Tuulikki, Colin Riley and Dai Fujikura share their music and thoughts exploring the importance of place in music. How does the more-than-human manifest itself in the composers’ music, and what does it mean to be composing music in times of the climate crisis?

From imitating birds to Japanese onomatopoeia, we listen to a song written for a stream in the Cairngorms, music that imitates the freedom and order of birds flying, and how can one make sense of climate grief through sound and movement. Join our CEO Susanna Eastburn MBE and festival director Fiona Robertson (Sound Scotland) for a unique insight into composing.

Our recommendation at the end is for In Place, a collection of songs by Colin Riley which you can explore fully at InPlaceProject.co.uk

In this episode, you listened to the following music and sounds:

Hanna Tuulikki

cloud-cuckoo-island (2016), a solo camera performance by Hanna Tuulikki
Metsänpeiton Alla (Under Forest Cover) (2021), an installation presented at the Helsinki Biennial 2021 exploring climate grief
Deer Dancer (2019), part of an installation presented at Edinburgh Art Festival 2019, the audio is now available on Bandcamp

Colin Riley

Litanies for the Furness Fells (2018), featuring words by Richard Skelton and Autumn Richardson; part of In Place, released by Squeaky Kate Music
Water over Stone (2018), featuring words by Nan Shepherd; part of In Place released by Squeaky Kate Music
Earth Voices: I. Luften (2021), commissioned by and premiered by Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra at Helsingborg Konserthus, Sweden – conducted by Alfonso Scarano

Dai Fujikura

Secret Forest (2008), performed by Okeanos Ensemble and released on NMC recordings
Gliding Wings (2019), performed by Ensemble Nomad with Makoto Yoshida, Hideo Kikuchi (clarinets) and conducted by Norio Sato; released on Minabel records

This podcast was produced by Michael Umney (Resonance FM) and mixed by Chris Bartholomew, with the theme tune composed by Rob Bentall.

Our heartfelt thanks to the record labels, performers, composers and organisations who allowed us to include excerpts of these recordings on the podcast.