Calling out over St. Helens

This August, we premiere Brass Calls, a new sound installation made up of short, specially-composed brass tunes and lyrics that call on people to think again.

Photo: Stephen King

As you walk around the town centre, Brass Calls will punctuate the normal experience, with bursts of music broadcast from the rooftops, filling St. Helens Church Square. Brass Calls takes note of issues raised by local people, when questioned about what they say (or want to say) when something needs to be done.

These ‘instructions’ inspired the lyrics, elevated by a composer into a musical score, then performed and recorded by local brass band, The Haydock Band.

Together, the 16 calls convey a range of human stories that invite people to consider issues such as zero hour contracts, town centre skateboarding, along with more personal, domestic and intimate matters.

Each call will be accompanied by a placard, held up to show the lyrics.

The work takes place on Friday 7 & Saturday 8 August, 9am to 5.30pm, and you can follow the events on Twitter with the hashtag #BrassCalls.

Brass Calls is made in collaboration with brass band The Haydock Band,  with a specially commissioned score by Adam D J Taylor. It is commissioned by Heart of Glass and funded by Arts Council England.