Various – Harbour Symphony: Music For Ships' Horns

The Harbour Symphony is original music written for the horns of the ships in St. John's harbour. This signature fanfare of the Sound Symposium transforms the ships into an orchestra on water. Each Harbour Symphony begins with a radio countdown transmitted by the Coast Gaurd. Players stand at the helms of tugboats, trawlers, and ocean-going freighters. At the signal, a giant, floating horn section reverberates off the Southside Hills and through the streets of old St. John's, echoing the soul of this 500 year old seaport.

The acoustic characteristics of the bowl-shaped St. John's Harbour encourage the sound to resonate and carry for up to 12 miles. You can hear the delay of the horns as the sound travels over a mile across the water, and hear the sounds resonate against the surrounding hills.

The Harbour Symphony was conceived for the first Sound Symposium in 1983 by Newfoundland-based architect Joe Carter. He enlisted musician Paul Steffler to write a series of compositions for ships' horns. Since 1983 visiting musicians from all over the world have been invited to create a Harbour Symphony, and the concept has so far been shared with the cities of Amsterdam, Vancouver, Montreal and San Francisco.

Jewel case with a 28-page booklet. Notes in English and French.

Produced by Sound Arts Initiatives, Inc. 1998.
Distributed by by Sound Arts Initiatives, Inc.