Air Traffic

Composition for eight speakers

Duration circa 15min

Air Traffic uses audio recordings to document the influence of the wind on the strings of an Aeolian harp, and the sounds of planes flying overhead in the greater distance. It explores how sound interacts with its environment, enabling us to hear aspects of our surroundings that would otherwise be silent. Aeolian harps are an ancient way of sonifying the changing strength and direction of the wind, producing a mournful sound which rises and falls with the speed and direction of airflow. The sound of planes is also augmented by the weather. As well as being modified by the wind, the presence of cloud causes increased reflection and absorption.