Sky Orchestra by Luke Jerram
Date uploaded: August 15, 2011
Friday 22 July, 2011 - Wednesday 27 July, 2011
In July 2011, Londoners awoke to the sound of music emanating from the skies, as Sky Orchestra flew over the capital, heralding a year to go to the 2012 Games. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, teamed up with the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) to bring UK artist Luke Jerram's Sky Orchestra to the city. The Sky Orchestra made two flights over the six days, and the event also marked LIFT's 30th anniversary.
Sky Orchestra delivers music to sleeping people from out of the sky.
The seven balloons took off in quick succession from the launch site, gradually rising to a height of around 500 feet, and were seen – and heard – as they floated across the capital. Amplified to be heard by people at ground level, each of the balloons broadcast a different element of the musical score, composed by award winning British musician Dan Jones. Together, the music from the balloons created a massive, but graceful, sonic landscape – a musical wake up call or gentle lullaby.
Sky Orchestra has been created by artist Luke Jerram, renowned for bringing pianos to the streets of London, and BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer and musician Dan Jones. Since its inception in 2002, Sky Orchestra has been performed in Sydney, Birmingham, Bristol, Yverdon Switerland and Sydney.
Luke Jerram said: 'A form of acoustic urban art, Sky Orchestra questions the boundaries of public artwork, private space and the ownership of the sky. The aim is to lift the sleeping public into a space on the edge of sleep, and to inspire their imaginations through sound. Each balloon plays a different element of the musical score creating a massive audio landscape. Like whales calling in the ocean, the same sounds may be heard in succession passing from one balloon to another across the sky.'
