Piano installation July 12 and 13, plus Soundwalk and free concert July 17 mark World Listening Day
The music of Howard Skempton and R. Murray Schafer at events put on by Vancouver New Music, Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre, Vancouver Park Board, and Vancouver Soundwalk Collective
R. Murray Schafer (photo by André Leduc) and Howard Skempton (photo by Katie Vandyck).
For World Listening Day, Vancouver New Music, the Vancouver Park Board, and the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre present Coterminous(ly) Skempton on July 12 and 13 from 11:45 am to 2:45 pm. Vancouver Soundwalk Collective presents a Soundwalk from 12:30 to 2:15 pm on July 17 (meet on the Roundhouse Turntable), followed by a concert of R. Murray Schafer's Okeanos from 2:30 to 4 pm at the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall. All events are free.
WORLD LISTENING DAY asks us to stop our busy lives and listen—really listen—to the sounds around us. The occasion falls formally on July 18 as a tribute to the birthday of R. Murray Schafer, the celebrated Canadian composer and environmentalist who’s considered the founder of acoustic ecology.
Several free events are happening this week in the leadup to that day. The ear-tuning begins July 12 and 13, when Vancouver New Music, the Vancouver Park Board, and the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre present Coterminous(ly) Skempton: An installed concert featuring the piano works of Howard Skempton.
The event finds pianists from around the city and beyond—think Charlie Cooper, Ethan Darlington, Giorgio Magnanensi, Matthew Odell, Olive Shakur, Rachael Wadham, and more—performing Skempton’s hauntingly melodic, spare works in a free, two-day walkthrough installation at the Roundhouse. (Hear a sample of his compositions below to appreciate how soul-soothing his music is.)
The fun continues July 17, starting at 12:30 pm with a Soundwalk hosted by Vancouver Soundwalk Collective, winding its way through city streets and parks and dedicated to Schafer. The journey that begins at the Roundhouse’s historic turntable is aimed at “engaging in the art of noticing with our ears”. It’s followed by a free concert of Schafer’s ocean-inspired Okeanos at 2:30 pm inside the Roundhouse. The multi-channel audio work will be diffused through Vancouver composer Giorgio Magnanensi’s unique installation of eight reclaimed wood resonators..
And on the 18th itself? Shhhh... Listen, as thousands of people from around the world will also be doing. Fittingly, this year's theme is "Listening Across Boundaries", and the day features livestreaming audio, contests, and listening-focused walks around the globe. Think of it as a chance to hone an art that requires undivided attention in a society that's increasingly full of distractions.
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