Titan Crane to act as venue and instrument at Sonica Festival

Michael Begg captures the sounds of the Titan Crane and its environment

Musician and composer Michael Begg will climb to heady heights to perform his unusual composition at this year’s Sonica Festival

Titan: A Crane Is A Bridge is the title of Michael Begg’s latest piece. But there isn’t a conventional instrument in sight. Instead, Begg captures the sounds of the Titan Crane and its environment, using only Aeolian harps, also known as wind harps, and contact microphones.

The crane sits on the banks of the Clyde and the music is a homage to Scottish industry, celebrating extraordinary feats of engineering. The composition will be performed at 150ft in the wheelhouse of the crane on 28 and 29 October for the Sonica Festival in Glasgow.

Sonica is a year-round programme of events specialising in all kinds of musical and visual arts, with the festival taking place every two years. Since launching in 2012, Sonica has been held in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Slovenia, South Korea and Sweden.

Sonica was started by Cryptic, an organisation founded by director, producer and curator Cathie Boyd in 1994.

Cryptic strive to inspire audiences by provoking the senses with multimedia performances that combine music, sonic and visual art. This aim is executed by supporting imaginative and innovative artists, established or otherwise.

This year sees freelance musician, composer, producer and sound designer Begg amongst a huge line-up.

Begg is usually found writing and performing experimental Irish folk music with the group Fovea Hex, a band that also features Laura Sheeran, cousin of Ed. The Titan Crane project showcases his flexible talents.

You can find ticket details here.

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