''Nature converses through the rhythm of her waves, the birdsong at dawn, the softness of snowfall, the patter of rain drops - losing these sounds were the first signs of my hearing loss. Maybe that's why, on the day that my hearing aids were fitted, I felt overwhelmingly re-connected to the sound of the environment. Now, environmental sound is at the core of my practice as I delve ever more deeply into nature's biorhythms. I am interested in the visceral relationship between humanity & the natural world, composing music & creating sound art to raise awareness of the climate crisis.''
Cân y Coed - Song of the treesCheryl spent 12 months as an environmental sound artist working with the Rainforests of Wales, collating inner biorhythms caused by conductivity within the vascular systems of trees, fern & ancient moss across 5 different locations, reunting the rainforests after 1000's of years of being separated, Her practice repurposes hearing aid & other biomedical sound equipment to produce digital & visual readings, which she then used to compose Cân y Coed Rainforest Symphony in 5 movements, empowering the Rainforests a voice of their own in the Climate Crisis Debate. Cân y Coed creates an emotional connection between the rainforests & audience, raising awareness both nationally & internationally. The Commission concluded at the Southbank Centre in September 2022, but the work continues to grow a new life of its own ...
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10,000 Years of Moss - a photograph taken by Cheryl at Coed Llennyrch Rainforest.
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Cheryl has been selected as one of 50 sound artists from across the globe to compose sound art from recordings taken at the melting ice caps of Antartica, collated by the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB). The project aims to raise awareness of climate crisis through a partnership wth Cities & Memory. Cheryl says - 'Composing with the eerie sounds of killer whales calling out from the earth's most urgent climate emergency, has been a deeply profound experience.' - Her piece SIREN has reduced the revolutions of the whale call x100 & in so doing, created a human-like cry perhaps for help or as a warning, coupled with a bass like mantra in the pit of their individual whistles & echolocation. All the Polar Sounds recordings will be available later this year & into 2023 through Cities & Memory.
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Rewilding the SymphonyIn 2022, forming a partnership with FUSION Carmarthenshire, Cheryl ran a community survey to identify Carmarthenshire’s TOP TEN wooded areas by asking people to vote for their favourite places. She then planted bio-degradable QR Codes at the TOP 10 woodlands, transporting visitors on the spot to her Cân y Coed Rainforest Symphony. Cheryl also designed an online map enabling people to explore local woodlands.
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Sound WavesCheryl was part of a Research, Development & Mentor Program with Addo Creative Consultancy funded by The Arts Council of Wales. Her research widened access to the natural world by exploring ways of bringing sound waves and spectral frequency as contemporary art into the public realm. For More Details CLICK HERE.
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Walk 19 CerddedCheryl was supported by the Arts Council of Wales National Lottery Good Causes, to create Dementia Friendly Environmental Sound Maps for Sound Memories Radio, helping older people stay connected to a sense of identity by creating nature narratives of their favourite walks. She trained a team of 5 Sound Artists & communicated through digital media with Care Homes throughout South & South West Wales. There was a series of 8 Online Exhibition access points that attracted over 12,000 viewers.
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Singing with DolphinsAs part of her prestigious Individual Award (now known as Creative Wales Award) from the Arts Council of Wales, Cheryl joined the Marine Wildlife Research team at New Quay, West Wales, sailing with them to record the whistles & echolocation of Dolphins. She then created a live soundscape to inspire poetry & song in response, performing the piece at The National Botanic Garden of Wales.
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From Wool to WeaveCheryl developed a Sound Map of Rural West Wales, funded by Carmarthenshire County Council, as a resource for older people from farms now living in sterile care home environments and cut off from rural life. From Wool to Weave was one of 8 films produced by Cheryl.
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Fall of the 3rdDuring her residency for the Dragon Tree, Cheryl found that Elgar had written his Welsh idiom at Llangrannog. Whilst listening to the tides, he imagined he could hear a choir in the distance and it gave him the inspiration for his piece 'Introduction and Allegro for Strings' using the fallen third. Playing the score on an old gramophone at Llangrannog beach, Cheryl recorded the arrangement with different tides, to contextualise his inspiration.
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Aboriginal RainCheryl was joined in her studio by Didgeridoo player, Tim Shaw for an an experimental piece, combining ethnomusicology & environmental sound. The didgeridoo is more than 1,500 years old & was considered a rain maker. Cheryl recorded rain across the seasons & chanted an ancient mantra. Aboriginal Rain is 1 of 5 pieces composed for the project, combining traditional instruments with the elements.
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