Judith Weir

What Sound Will Chase Elephants Away?

Written for two double basses.

This work is warmly dedicated to Peter Buckoke and Judith Kleinman, who gave the first performance at the Purcell Room, London, on 29th March 2006.

Q. What sound man can create will chase Elephants away? Hill van Schalkwyk, Republic of South Africa.
A. Elephants can create an extremely low pitch rumble sound that humans can't hear but that indicates danger to other elephants. Reproducing that sound would chase elephants away. But it is not easy to record such a sound.
It is also possible that an elephant will leave if it hears the roar of a lion. That sound may be easier to obtain. I doubt if there is a sound that a human can make that would bother an elephant.