The Singing Ringing Tree, A Landmark Musical Sculpture in England

“The Singing Ringing Tree” is a musical sculpture near Burnley in the North West of England built by architects Tonkin Liu. It was designed in 2004 and completed at the end of 2006. It is one of four landmark art projects called “Panopticons” built in the early 2000’s in Lancashire.

The film was directed by Zsolt Sándor with sound by A Man Called Adam.

The Singing Ringing Tree
photo by Mid Pennine Arts

The tree is constructed of stacked pipes of varying lengths, orientated to lean into the directions of the prevailing wind. As the wind passes through the different lengths of pipe, it plays different chords. Each time you sit under the tree, looking out through the wind, you will hear a different song.

srtree_piano
photo by Andy I-dophotos Woodhouse

srtree_close2_
photo by Mid Pennine Arts

The tree won a 2007 award for architectural excellence from the Royal Institute of British Architects. As part of the project’s launch, local kids and young adults wrote fanciful stories inspired by the sculpture.

srtree_kids
photo by Mid Pennine Arts

The Halo in Haslingden, Rossendale was the fourth and final Panopticon to be constructed.

Glowing Halo
photo by Peter Hudson

mikl-em
Mikl-em

Actor, nerd, poet, producer, writer mikl-em made his name short so you wouldn't have to. In addition to his blog you can find his writing in "Hi Fructose" magazine and witness him almost life-sized in various plays at The Dark Room Theater in SF's Mission district.

He tends to write about theater, humor, San Francisco culture and history, and stuff that's just plain weird. He thanks Scott for sharing the keys to the Laughing Squid virtual HQ and promises to uphold whatever it is that the mirthful cephalopod would prefer to be uplifted.