This workshop concentrated on collecting, making and recording sounds from Speke Hall. Some of the sounds may go inside the boxes made in the last workshop. You can hear some of the sounds on the box webpage here

There was an initial briefing in the education room at Speke, where a video of Sheila (a Speke Hall volunteer) was played. She described the sounds that you could hear in the house at the present time, and also some of the sounds that you would expect to hear when the house was it was used as a family residence. Following the introduction, the Co Researchers looked at some of the equipment for making sounds (such as the miniature barrel organ) and then either collected sounds from around the hall, or made sounds themselves used materials supplied.

The image below shows Elle making the miniature barrel organ play its sound. After the picture was taken she discovered that holding it on a flat, hard surface (the table) makes it sound much louder.

Elle plays music by turning the handle on the miniature barrel organ

Paul does the same with mini barrel organ:

Paul playing the barrel organThe picture below show Elle making the clip clop sound of horses hooves with coconut shells, Tracy recorded the sound.

The picture below show Elle making the clip clop sound of horses hooves with coconut shells, Tracy recorded the sound.

Elle makes sound of horses hooves

The picture below shows Paul and Angela they found that if they squeezed the cellophane gentley it would sound like a fire crackling.

Paul and Angela fire sound

Paul and Angela popped bubble wrap this worked even better than cellophane as the sound of a crackling fire.

The picture below shows Paul with a whisk in a metal jug. The group tried to make a sound scene of the kitchen.

Paul makes kitchen sounds

The picture below shows Angela using some wooden paddles that would form butter into a block, by rubbing them past each other they made a rasping sound we did not try them with butter between them.

Angela explores the sound that butter pats make

Sounds Collected Around the Hall

Sounds were collected from around the hall, either by directly recording the available sounds (e.g. clocks ticking) or making the sounds happen by some form of interaction. In the two images below, Christopher records the sounds made by billiard balls moving along the baize surface, and when the balls collide.

Christopher recording the sound of the billiard balls

Christopher records the sounds made by the billiard balls

The picture below shows Elle with volunteer costume tour guide Fiona. They collected the sound of the cue and balls knocking together. Sometimes it was difficult to know whether Elle wanted to hold the sound recorder or take part in the activity that made the sound.

Elle and Fiona billiards sound of cue on ball

The sound made by the ‘secret lock’ and the creaking of the cupboard door in one of the bedrooms was captured by Elle:

The lock behind the ‘secret’ panel is revealed! Click … cluck

The sounds of the creaking floorboards was also capture on the top floor of the house:

Elle examines a fossil on the limestone floor for it’s texture. Co Researchers are encouraged to explore all sensory forms, even if not strictly part of the exercise:

Elle examines the fossil of a belemnite for its texture

The picture below shows Elle ringing a bell in the kitchen to collect the sound.

Elle rings bell in kitchen at Speke Hall

The picture below shows Elle using the sound recorder to record the sound of rustling fabric of Fiona and Veras costumes.

Elle collects sounds of the costumes

Dancing to the barrel organ from sensoryobjects on Vimeo.

Paul makes sounds in the kitchen from sensoryobjects on Vimeo.

Elle feeling and listening to book from sensoryobjects on Vimeo.

Elle in Kitchen from sensoryobjects on Vimeo.

sounds from the corridor carpet from sensoryobjects on Vimeo.