Beyond the Lakes explores the inner sonic qualities and hidden sounds masked beneath the industrial soundscape of Workington, Cumbria. A new environment brings sounds that invade our listening space because they are new and unfamiliar such as the echoing screech of seagulls in Portland Square, a small cobbled square surrounded by concrete dwellings. The mourning call of the seagull and other birds also presents interesting sonic characteristics, almost a human-like cry.

This piece reflects a past soundscape that may have once witnessed historic events that occurred around Workington Hall, such as the arrival of Mary Queen of Scots as she fled from Scotland in 1568. This virtual soundworld weaves amongst present day soundscape recordings; the song of the blackbird, a family of ducks amongst the reeds and a dog frolicking in the river that flows around the hall. While often some soundscape compositions highlight environmental concerns, for this work I chose to focus on the maskedsonic worlds that exist in Workington. This piece was commissioned by The Octopus Collective as part of the Full of Noises Festival, 2015 with funding from the Women Make Music, PRS for Music Foundation.

Brona Martin is an Electroacoustic composer and sound artist from Banagher, Co. Offaly, Ireland currently based in Ely, Cambridge. Brona completed a PhD in Electroacoustic Composition under the supervision of Professor David Berezan at NOVARS Research Centre, University of Manchester. Her research interests include narrative in Electroacoustic music, soundscape composition, acoustic ecology and spatialisation. Her acousmatic works composed in stereo, 5.1 and 8-channel have included the creative exploration of soundscapes from Ireland, Manchester, East Coast Australia, Spain and Germany and Cumbria. Her works have been performed internationally in the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe and Asia. For more information visit www.bronamartin.com.