Hot air balloons with speakers, aka Sky Orchestra, to fly over Bristol in July
Posted on: 09 Jul 2020The flight will feature a premiere of a new composition featuring musicians from around the city.
Seven hot air balloons with speakers attached to their baskets will float over Bristol later this month.
The audio-visual project, known as Sky Orchestra, will take off from a secret location one morning in July, with more details to be announced on the day, as the balloons take off.
Sky Orchestra is the work of Bristol artist Luke Jerram and the Bristol-based, BAFTA-winning composer Dan Jones.
Luke Jerram with Sky Orchestra
Premiering specially commissioned new score featuring local musicians, the performance promises to serenade the city with “an uplifting visual and musical experience.”
The last time Sky Orchestra performed in Bristol was back in 2003, at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
Since then, the project has travelled worldwide, performing at the Sydney Festival in 2007, and in celebration of the London 2012 Olympics. Watch:
Luke Jerram, who is behind several renowned projects including 2014’s Park and Slide, said:
“As the city begins to unlock, I wanted a way to deliver an uplifting experience to people in their homes.
“Something spectacular, yet somehow intimate; to create a sense of renewal, hope and rebirth, to raise the public’s spirits and mark a moment in time.”
Co-creator of Sky Orchestra’s new score, Dan Jones, added:
“We’re bringing together some of Bristol’s most successful musicians with future creators who are just emerging; Bristol continues to be a launchpad for musical innovation that spreads right around the world.
On this day 6years ago in Bristol https://t.co/8NB0KKNDoE https://t.co/trYN2jdmRa May the 4th be with you....always pic.twitter.com/uve8TxcAtf
— Luke Jerram (@lukejerram) May 4, 2020
Luke Jerram's Park and Slide, 2014
Luke and Dan have been planning the project since the beginning of lockdown, which will unite seven local ballooning crews.
During the performance, the seven hot air balloons will be positioned over the city, making it one of the largest surround sound artworks in the world.
The new score has been commissioned by Bristol Old Vic. Artistic Director of the venue, Tom Morris, said:
“All of Bristol is a theatre and the safest performance space in the world is the sky.
“Bristol Old Vic may be closed, for now, but the ears and eyes and hearts of all Bristolians are not and the need for inspiring work by our most extraordinary artists is greater than ever under the effect of the pandemic…
“May it bring hope and delight to all who see and hear it.”
Read more:
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Update on Bristol International Balloon Fiesta: flypast and virtual nightglow planned
