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this edition of framework:afield, entitled hermitage, has been produced in the uk by richard bentley using recordings he made in spain. For more of his work see https://anoisysilence.com/listenings. producer’s notes:
When I am not running my manageably small ‘sound-for-wellbeing’ business A Noisy Silence, I work in an acute hospital, listening to patients, many of whom are very ill or at the end of their lives. Everyday concerns often begin conversations, but rarely dominate them, giving way to heartfelt sharing; of loved-ones, the things that seem to give life meaning, and broader existential questions and concerns. I don’t think you can do this kind of work without it reflecting your own mortality and changing your perspective, broadening it as well as bringing into focus what matters. I’ve noticed that, in many ways, my approach to listening with patients is mirrored in my field recording practice. In both, I am drawn to important detail while trying to appreciate the wider context of what is heard. I often sit and listen for an hour or more, endeavouring to remain present and attentive, trying not to get caught-up in my own thinking or pre-empting what I will be hearing next. I am trying to get a sense of what matters, what’s underneath what I am hearing, not so much probing for information, but sensing more intuitively. There is a simplicity and integrity that, in our complex world, gets lost, forgotten or glossed-over. In these ways and others, my work seems to involve recovering something of an essence, to cut through distortions and unearth what really matters. As a process, this contemplative approach means practicing to embody these qualities, so that they become natural and effortless. As a product, I hope something of this comes through in the recordings and their presentation.
While I will offer some context to the recordings below, do not feel obliged to read it. I would encourage you (if you are able), to listen in the same manner as these recordings were made; grounding yourself, being present and noticing whatever comes up for you as you listen.
Some context: the recordings in this episode are from a region in northern Spain incorporating the medieval town of Santillana and the beautiful lush-green coastline a little north of there. We begin, sat at a café in Santillana and move to the nearby 12th- century Romanesque monastery of Santa Juliana as visitor closing time approaches. We then move northwards to the coastal village of Ubiarco, nestled amidst the woodlands, hills and farms, listening to the sounds of caged birds and local musicians rehearsing amidst rolling thunder. It’s then only a short walk down a winding track to the beach and the shrine of Santa Justa, sheltered from the Atlantic wind and waves, perched high up on the cliff face overlooking the cove. Small cliff-side streams punctuate the path and the piece until we come to rest in the pastures above the cove amidst the noisy silence of stridulation.
As an avid listener of Patrick’s Framework radio show, it feels a slightly nervous privilege to have my recordings feature this week. A big thank you to Patrick and all those artists and supporters that make these shared listening spaces possible!
In gratitude,
Rich.