Music & natural phenomena for Eanswythe
The development of a minimalist, immersive sound & water installation.
SUMMARY
To curate a sound installation which combines original sung very early music (early medieval 500-1300AD), commissioned composed music created for this project, with a light & water installation.
Made and expressed in the church of St. Mary’s and St. Eanswythe’s Church, Folkestone, Kent, UK, to honour the local Saint, Eanswythe (c.614 – c.640), whose remains / bones / relics are incredibly still kept in the church.
HISTORY
SAINT EANSWYTHE
Eanswythe was an Anglo-Saxon princess born circa 630, was the granddaughter of king Æthelberht of Kent (who was converted to Christianity by Augustine of Canterbury), and daughter of King Eadbald of Kent, who reigned from 616 to 640.
Eanswythe founded, and was Abbess of, the first nunnery in Kent, of St Peter and St Paul, founded in Folkestone in circa 660.
St Eanswythe died circa 653-663 (aged circa 23-33).
Eanswythe refused to marry and “renouncing secular pomp from her infancy, she studied to serve God, trod down each worldly precious thing and, having embraced holy teaching with all her power, she sighted with a never-ending desire for the life of the heavenly kingdom and sought to submit to the rule of the holy life.” Nova Legenda Angli, 2 vols. translated by James Lloyd taken from The Finding St. Eanswythe exhibition at The Sassoon Gallery, Folkestone, March 2019.
Eanswythe was believed to have performed miracles; communicating with and resurrecting geese and persuading them to leave the area so as not to cause more destruction to crops and for helping a blind woman to see again.
The miracle she is most well known for is that she made a watercourse run up-hill, from a spring outside of Folkestone to the Bayle water, located near the church, a distance of approx 3-4 miles.
It has been discovered that this incredible feat of engineering was “possibly the earliest example of water engineering in England: St. Eanswythe’s watercourse must be at least 500 years earlier than the wonder constructed by Prior Wibert of Christ Church, Canterbury”. Quote taken from a newspaper cutting from 1928, featured in the above mentioned Finding St. Eanswythe exhibition.
From the discoveries made during the Finding St. Eanswythe project (a three year project looking into discovering the historic, mythical and archeological findings of Eanswythe), it concluded that the watercourse was possibly constructed at the end of the 11th century; carbon dating of bones found in an archaeological dig near the construction are the main pointer to this date, which of course rules out that is was indeed Eanswythe’s “miracle”.
PROPOSAL
MUSIC
I am in the process of researching contemporary composers and/or sound artists to perhaps commission one or some of them to create a vocal composition in response to this interesting period in time; the transition from Anglo-Saxon paganism to Roman Christianity, forged by a female; Eanswythe.
A list of contemporary composers I am researching:
Héloïse Werner https://heloisewerner.com/
Sophie Stone https://www.sophiestonecomposer.com/
Anna Braithwaite http://www.annabraithwaite.co.uk/
Isabella Gellis https://isabellagellis.com/
Louisa Love https://www.louisalove.co.uk/
Lily-May Bolton, a 15 year old chorister/composer of Holy Trinity Church Choir, Folkestone.
I envisage this/these potential pieces of music as minimal in content, but spiritually moving, using just the voices of young women.
I am in discussion with commissioning the Girls Choir of Canterbury Cathedral to perform the music, whilst processing around the church.
The sound would be recorded at chosen points around the church and then speakers would be positioned in these points, re-creating or evoking the sound and sense of the processing singers.
Canterbury Cathedral Girls Choir is lead by David Newsholme.
David and I are in productive conversation about the girls choir being involved; possibly in the development, but definitely in the delivery of this project. I think David Newsholme and the choir will be important contributors in the choosing of the music used.
It might be that we use music from a later time as well, for example Hildegard of Bingen’s music, as it is still not very well known and is relevant, even though from a period about 550 years later. Hildergard also was an abbess of a small convent.
Music background information
Eanswythe created the first nunnery in Kent and I have discovered through research, that the sound scape might’ve been young women’s voices singing, in a basic form of plainchant, perhaps whilst processing around the church, to evoke a sense of spirituality or ecstasy.
The use of a drone note might’ve been used and the use of 4th or a 5th intervals might’ve also been used to provoke a sense of awe.
The purpose of the singing might’ve been to create a sense of peace, hypnotism through the repetition of the chants/breathing and/or ecstasy; to connect closer to their concept of “God”.
Please feel free to click on the YouTube link to listen to Gregorian music; a monodic sung prayer originating in the 8th century and sung by the Sisters exactly as it has been uninterruptedly for centuries, whilst you read.
During the Finding Eanswythe project, Margaret Cameron from the BBC singers led a community choir to revive possible music from and since Eanswythe’s era. There was a concert for Candlemass in 2019 (which I was happy to sing in).
LIGHT & WATER INSTALLATION
I propose to develop a temporary water channel | reflection pool in the church to coincide with the sound installation for a limited period of time.
I want to continue to promote the myth of Eanswythe’s miracle, by associating her memory with the watercourse.
Water for Eanswythe would reflect the altar, the sanctuary, the chancel and stain glass windows of the east end.
The channel of water would be shallow, leading up the aisle towards the altar and the reliquary, where the remains of St. Eanswythe, are kept.
Any wind or touch on the water would ripple the reflection.
The pool would be gently over-flowing (into an out pipe), ensuring the surface remain dust-free and clear, to maximise the reflectivity.
I created the term “skypools” and created these water & light-sculptures whilst I was at Glasgow School of Art (1995-2000).
Below, the piece “Skypool 21.06.00” was my degree show piece and was made in and for The Mackintosh Building, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
The sides of the pool are oriented to point towards the summer solstice sunrise and sunset for the latitude of Glasgow.
The creation of a water installation may not be possible/viable. However, I have discussed these ideas with Ian Gordon and Rev Dr. John Walker of St. Mary’s & St. Eanswythe’s church, who were both positive in their reactions and encouraging.
Habouring the water sculpture into the sacred space would introduce the phenomena of reflection and this would create a phenomenological encounter. It might enhance the sense of spirituality or awe experienced from the music, using natural phenomena as its medium.
I have developed a series of water & music installations which can be seen here.
Very Early Music Research
Below is a link to an episode of The Early Music Show with Lucie Skeaping, aired on Sunday 25th Nov 2018 at 2pm BBC Radio 3, which discusses the issue of authentic discernment of the sounds of the Anglo Saxon period in music with Dr Sam Barrett and Benjamin Bagby.
Sequentia a Medieval Ensemble based in Paris have worked with the Early Music specialist Dr Sam Barrett in Cambridge, specifically trying to decipher what the early medieval music might’ve sounded like, as it wasn’t until the C13th that music was first annotated.
In this last piece, I think we can hear that the eastern influence. I like the idea that through this project, we could actually return to the bare bones of sacred music and in doing so, move towards the status quo before some of the religious separations took place, and by creating a sound that is more universal in it’s spirituality, invites and unites us in worship for our own interpretation of what moves us.
Thank you to Folkestone Fringe for it’s sponsorship toward the research element of this project FRINGE CURATED 2021 ARTISTS
If you would like to sponsor this project, or have any other enquiries, please get in touch.
Kate Beaugié | blog 