Modular choral work for six voices. Equipment: Shoulder and horn speaker with interchangable megaphone effect, choreographed movement. Treasure hunt: Interactive Beacons website, treasure maps, sea gooseberries featuring responsive technology.

Beacons was conceived by Alison Neighbour. Beacons was supported by PRS for Music Foundation, Arts Council England, Folkestone Town Council, Kent Arts Investment Fund, and The Ashley Family Foundation. It was produced by SparkedEcho & Creative Folkestone.

Lead artist, creating visual world, gooseberries and treasure maps: Alison Neighbour.

Composer: Emily Peasgood

Interactive technologist and web designer: Tarim

Full stack developer and creative technologist: Ellie Foreman

Producer: Kevin Grist of Sparked Echo

Engagement producer: Ruby Bolton

Sound engineer: Al Harle

Beacons is a response to the climate crisis and invites audiences to connect with each other and nature. Beacons commences with a treasure hunt in the landscape surrounding a beach community. A few months prior to each performance event, treasure maps can be found on the Beacons website and are distributed in the local community. At each treasure location, a wooden box can be found containing a glowing sea gooseberry and instructions about how to contribute words and ideas to the performance event.

On the day of the performance, the gooseberries glow brighter and participants bring them to the beach, forming a collective light installation that 6 singers perform in and around. The singers move in choreographed movement, amplified by portable megaphones and horns, inviting audiences to move with them.

As a composer, this is a challenging work as: the way singers move, the way in which participants and contribute words and ideas, the environment, and the technology utilised to amplify singers are integral to the composition process. As part of the research and development that took place in 2019, I created three composition ideas that feature ancient languages, extended vocal techniques, and rhythmic layers and textures I hope will inspire a sense of community and connection with nature at the performance event. In February 2020 a site test took place on Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone to trial methods for amplifying singers, and explore the feasibility of performing what is a complex choral work and choreographed movement on the beach. A scaled down performance with three singers took place: Nina Clark, Richard Navarro and myself and a small audience invited to provide feedback. The outcome has enabled us to reconsider the technology used to amplify singers, resulting in a more natural, portable and eco-friendly approach that supports the works conceptual aim. We are currently applying for funding to develop and scale the final work for its premiere in 2021.

In January 2020 I spent some time with The Burning Hell and Phoebe Kreutz in Riofreddo Italy. They kindly leant their voices to this demo, which demonstrates initial ideas that may feature in the work.