Gogmagog
The Voices of the Bells
About
Gogmagog is a commissioned sound installation to be situated within the nave of Holy Trinity Church that reinvigorates a three hour five minute ‘Triple Bob’ peal rung on the church’s eight bells in 1898. Whilst the bells are currently silenced due to the condition of the bell tower, a new version of the peal will be given life by local music and singing collectives, drawing lyrics from the story of the church’s historical social roles, paralleled by the thoughts of the community who now inhabit Old Sunderland.
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The peal was composed during the mid 1700s by Benjamin Annable, an important figure in the development of change ringing. Its performance on the bells of Holy Trinity was commemorated by a plaque that still hangs in the bell tower.
The brief for the commission underscored the need to respond to this elegant, but fragile Georgian Church, alongside its location near to a large 1960’s housing estate and other historic buildings now used by community groups. In addition, the future development of Holy Trinity Church as an accessible cultural venue for the city, with a strong focus on music and performance, meant responding to these changes was important to the Churches Conservation Trust who now care for the building. For more information visit https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church is an historic space in flux, which is intricately bound to its surrounding community.
The construction of the Church in 1719 marked the forging of Sunderland as a city. At the heart of a busy port it played an important role in the life of people living in the area. As well as providing religious services the Church also housed the Town Hall, Magistrate’s Court and Sunderland’s first public library. Since its inception, a committee of vestry men were responsible not only for the Church, but overseeing local matters including offering relief to the poor.
Over time Holy Trinity’s place changed as the centre of the city shifted to the west. With this and the decline of industry and trade, the community surrounding the church also changed. The relevance of allowing their voices to be heard and enacted in some form, alongside celebrating the history and resilience of the area through the eyes of Holy Trinity and its continuing legacy, are key to developing Gogmagog.
Research
Gogmagog is one of four commissions that form part of 'Mapping Contemporary Art in the Heritage Experience’ an interdisciplinary research project that critically examines the role and practice of temporary visual art commissioning within heritage properties in Britain today, mapping the current landscape and exploring the impact of this activity on its producers and audiences. It approaches this subject from multiple perspectives, bringing together the knowledge and experience of scholars, artists, heritage professionals, volunteers and visitors. This is a three-year research project (2017-19) funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The project is delivered in collaboration with UK heritage partners The National Trust and The Churches Conservation Trust. For more information visit http://research.ncl.ac.uk/mcahe/