I am a resident of Gateshead, and I have long thought of The Angel of the North as a sign of home. I was a frequent visitor to The Angel during lockdown, when it became one of my regular walks. It was then that I became more aware of the memorial in the trees near The Angel. Over time, I saw that new messages and objects were hung on the branches of the trees or laid beneath them or would occasionally be placed on The Angel itself. These were left in memory of lost loved ones.
I found the memorial site very moving, and I hoped to create a record that might capture what it means to the people who leave objects there. The sound of the memorial was an important part of the experience of being there – the rustle of the leaves overhead in the summer, the constant rumble of traffic on the nearby A1, and the gentle tinkling of wind chimes in the breeze. I therefore approached sound artist David de la Haye, and we felt that creating a sound work would capture the voices and stories of those who contribute to the memorial, as well as the sounds of the site across the seasons.
Sounding the Angel seeks to document a unique conversation between the people who leave memorials at The Angel, the sounds of the memorial site, and the resonances of The Angel of the North itself. David and I believe that by bringing together these very different voices and sounds, we will create a beautiful record of a place that holds deep meaning for those who visit and leave tokens of their loved ones behind.