James Weeks

Meadow

Meadow is an installation for any performers - singers, instrumentalists of any type - and requires large numbers (minimum 20). It should be performed without musical score, although the text to be spoken may be printed on a piece of card that can be held in the hand by performers. In addition, each performer will require a coloured tissue paper 'butterfly', as detailed in the score. The performers populate a sonic wildflower meadow, constantly varied in detail but unchanging in overall texture. They collectively produce a highly variegated, quiet 'hum' - a dense but delicate weave of sound that may rise only a little above theambient sound of the performance space, revealing its intricacies only to those listening close-up. Meadow was designed to work as a pop-up performance within a large, multipurpose public space, though a relatively quiet environment is necessary. Performers work independently from each other. The whole group should be quite densely clustered, close together, but one or more paths through the performer 'meadow' should be left. The audience should be able to walk among, around and through the performance as much as possible.