Creative music students turned award-winners as their sonic talents blossomed at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Working with Brunel’s Dr Colin Riley and Dr Carl Faia, students from Brunel’s Sonic Arts course gave sound to a Silver Gilt award-winning garden ‘Together We Can’ – the famous show’s first acoustic garden designed by Peter Eustance for disability charity Papworth Trust.
“One great thing about Brunel is that we foster entrepreneurs in music. They are going to be our makers of tomorrow in what is a forward-thinking, as well as a creative, business. This is a wonderful experience for our students,” said Dr Riley.
The unique project included a live electronic soundscape designed by the students, evoked directly from the moving elements of the garden. The piece aims to engage visitors’ senses and enhance the garden’s interactive nature.
World-famous percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie closed the show with her own unique creative response to the musical garden.
Dame Glennie, who has worked closely with the students over the past four months, said: “It is really mesmerizing. You can almost feel people drop their shoulders and be drawn into the garden.”
The Brunel students included team coordinator Ardeshir Mostajeran, Matt Collins, Dan Christovic, Reuben Kyriakides and Eleanor Brooks. Music technicians Graeme Shaw and Phil Maguire assisted in bringing the project to life.
Papworth Trust supports more than 5,000 disabled people each year through services from employment to housing.
See the garden in action.