Sound trail

A suggestion:
The sound trail is a very scenic walk, but it is also rather a strain. Thus we recommend to those people who only want to make a part of the way to walk from the village centre towards the church and to pass along the "Musical Spectators" and the "Ground Xylophone" and so on. This part of the way is also accessible to wheelchairs.
If you need any support (for instance a pickup service after a part of the way), please call Mr. Jos Marnach (021/350 509) or Mr. Fernand Schmitt (99 01 81).
Have a good time!

Son Cube

Concept: Marie-Josée Kerschen / Raimund Stephan
Realization:Toiture Nagel, Hoscheid/Dickt

The listener's island

This is a place to lay down, to close the eyes and to concentrate totally upon the diversity of the 'village noises'. In addition, the visitor's ear is supported by two big acoustic funnels.

Idea: Kraftarena Grossgerungs (http://www.kraftarena.at)

Realization: Laurent Remiche, Schrainer Wierkstat s.à r.l. Brandenbourg

Marimba Alouette

Will Menter

A marimba with eighty oak keys. Its form, an open circle, invites group playing. A set of beaters hang from a post next to the sculpture. This sculpture is dedicated to the skylark which sang above the field nearby and gave one of the first signs of spring in March 2002.

Sound sample Marimba Alouette:
A short improvisation (1 min 25 s) performed by Pierre Corbi and Will Menter.

marimba_128.mp3 (1,3 MB)

some words about my sound sculptures:

"Nearly all my sound sculptures use the sounds of natural materials such as wood, stone, water and air in a relatively untransformed way. I try to make pieces where the visual and aural forms are intertwined and equal. When the commission is for a permanent installation, as at Hoscheid, I always work from the nature of the site itself, using materials that are obviously local, to make sculptures that resonate happily with their environment. These four sculptures were conceived, designed and made over a period of 10 months from August 2001 to June 2002."

Will Menter

Oozlers

Will Menter

Three oozlers (a name I invented to describe this sounding system) are planted beside the river. They can be rotated by hand to allow the pieces of wood and metal to bounce, trickle, tinkle and oozle down the wires.


Sound samples Oozler:
Two short recordings (15 and 16 s):

oozler1_128.mp3 (269 kB) Oozler (metal)

oozler2_128.mp3 (254 kB) Oozler (wood)

Choeur de la forêt

Will Menter

You can walk right inside this sculpture which is made from over 500 hanging pieces of oak from the forest. They gently sound themselves in the wind or can be pushed against each other by hand.

On the ground is a path made from river stones, suggesting a link between the sound of the sculpture and that of the river.

The tube bell set

Michael Bradke

Aluminium tubes are easily tuneable. If you shorten a tune by 0.9715 per cent of its original length, the pitch rises for a half-tone. This set is tuned to G. Have a good time whilst playing your favourite songs !

The Forest Gong

Michael Bradke

This big tube bell is as long and thin as the trunk of a small tree. The deep ground note lasts for several minutes, but it is only produced if the instrument is struck with a heavy branch. From close, you can feel the vibrations with your whole body. If you pass your hand over the metal, you feel the nodal point which is free of vibrations; it is situated at 22,4% of the length. It is the place where the fixing holes are bored, in order to allow an uninterrupted development of the sound.

Buried Resonance

Eight oak boards are suspended in front of resonanting tubes which disappear through a stone wall deep into the earth. They are sounded by beaters which hang from the frame of the sculpture.

Sound sample Buried resonance:
A short part (16 s) played by Pierre Corbi:

resonance_128.mp3 (264 kB)

The Ground Xylophone

Michael Bradke

The ground xylophone was inspired by big African xylophones. And according to the African model, it can be played simultaneously by several players. It is not conceived for the playing of well-known songs, but for a common improvisation with motion patterns. The ground xylophone may also be used as a table : tables are important places of communication, and music instruments are tools of communication. The sound is reinforced by the hole in the ground and it can be felt with the whole body.

The musical spectators