Hull City of Culture – Octophonic Sound – Rich and Lou – John Stead, Risset and Dhomont – A World Premiere!

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Following the great success of Bridges a musical event was held in the auditorium beside the river.

John Stead – the renowned Bafta Winning composer produced a new piece of work especially for Hull and the Bridges Project – Moments in Time received its world premiere in brilliant octophonic sound.

John had created the piece using the sound mechanisms of the opening of the bridges as well as sounds from all around in Hull and on the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds.

It was followed by Elementa by Jean-Claude Risset (who recently died) and then Cycle du Son by Francis Dhomont.

As the sounds wafted around the audience were able to stroll around to appreciate the variations of music emanating from the eight speakers. A magical event.

John Stead orchestrating his music.

Rich and Lou Duffy-Howard mingling in the crowd and basking in the delight of a great evening as the music wafted around the auditorium and the Deep presides over it all.

A great way to celebrate Hull, Freedom and this fabulous City of Culture year!!  Thanks Rich and Lou!! Your hard work paid off handsomely.

Check out more on Rich and Lou’s site – photos and explanation

Introducing Open Bridges

Open Bridges – Hull Year of Culture – Another Triumph!! – Photos

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You only appreciate freedom when you are deprived of it!!  That was the philosophy of the event. Or as Joni Mitchell might say – ‘You don’t know what you’ve got til its gone.’

Hull is unique.

We all know that. It is unique in a number of ways but Bridges was a way of demonstrating one of its unique characteristics. The city is divided in two by the river Hull. That is not unusual. Many cities are divided in two. What makes Hull unique is that there are thirteen bridges crossing that river and none of them are fixed. They can all be opened.

Rich and Lou Howard-Duffy had the idea of dividing the city by opening all of its thirteen bridges – separating it and depriving Hull of its freedom – and then bringing it back together.

It was a symbolic of the way the people of Hull have fought for freedom and unity down the years from Wilberforce’s work to abolish slavery right up to the present day.

At seventeen minutes past eight o clock – the symbolic 20.17 – the bridges were opened and Hull was divided. Then it was rejoined and its freedom restored.

To celebrate 18th century schooner HMS Pickle set off rocket flares in front of the majestic architecture of the Deep and tugs gave a salute of huge plumes of water.

Congratulations to Rich and Lou Duffy-Howard for pulling off such an audacious event!!

We’re all free once more!!  We need to cherish and protect those freedoms. They were hard fought for.

A rocket flare goes off over the Deep.

To find out more of this fabulous project go to Open Bridges Hull and see some of Rich Duffy-Howard’s brilliant photos and read all about it.

Introducing Open Bridges