SILENT SOUND AT ST.GEORGE'S HALL, LIVERPOOL
Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard's Silent Sound began life as a live performance on Thursday 14th September 2006 in the Small Concert Hall at St. George's Hall, Liverpool.
St. George's Hall
Described by Nikolaus Pevsner as 'one of the finest neo-Grecian buildings in the world', St. George's Hall is a central feature of Liverpool's architecture and a Grade I listed building. Before the hall was built the site was occupied by the first Liverpool Infirmary from 1749 to 1824. It also included a Seaman's Hospital, Medical Library and Lunatic Asylum. The foundation stone of St. George's Hall was laid in 1838 close to the newly opened station in Lime Street, to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria, but the actual building of the hall did not start until 1842. The hall was created to provide a venue for the triennial music festivals. Designed by the young architect Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, it opened to the public in September 1854, and stands as testament to the prosperity in Liverpool in the 19th Century. The building also contains The Great Hall and a civil and crown court, which until 1984 was Liverpool's only crown court.
At the north end of the building above the entrance hall sits the Small Concert Hall. Elmes prescribed the shape of this room, but the interior is entirely the work of Charles Robert Cockrell, who completed work on the building following Elmes' death in 1847. Its colour palette is restrained: white, cream, honey with touches blue; its plasterwork uses only classical patterns and motifs but includes the caryatids supporting the gallery. Much of the decoration is not wood, marble or stone but made from plaster. Grilles for the ventilation system are incorporated into the decoration. A regular visitor to the hall was Charles Dickens, who gave many readings in the Small Concert Hall. Newly renovated, the Small Concert Hall has been closed for over twenty years. Originally it had a capacity of 1,200, the stage was designed to accommodate an orchestra of 60 performers and a semi-chorus of 70. St. George's Hall is unique in terms of its architecture, function and history. It will officially re-open on 23rd April, St. George's Day, 2007.
SILENT SOUND AT GREENLAND STREET, LIVERPOOL
Greenland Street
Following the live performance at St. George's Hall, Silent Sound was presented as a gallery-based installation for ten weeks in The Blade Factory at Greenland Street. The installation, devised by Forsyth & Pollard in collaboration with architect Jhon Bell incorporates a listening chamber developed with Arup Acoustics where visitors can experience a three-dimensional ambisonic sound recording of the original score, written and performed by Jason Pierce.
In September 2006, A Foundation launched Greenland Street - three former industrial buildings in the heart of Liverpool's Baltic Triangle which have been transformed into one of the largest and most challenging exhibition spaces for contemporary art in the country.
Building on the previous achievements of the foundation in Liverpool, Greenland Streets' mission is to deliver programmes of activity that showcase the very best local, regional, national and international contemporary visual arts practice.
Greenland Street which comprises of The Blade Factory, The Coach Shed and The Furnace is currently undergoing a two-phase programme of redevelopment works which will improve access to all three of the buildings and includes the provision of disabled toilets. Phase two of the redevelopment programme also includes the creation of a central reception space with an arts bookshop, cafe and hospitality area.