Meet the Undertones... Cairngorms water music to be aired
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BBC ALBA is to feature the sound of Cairngorm lochs such as Morlich and Garten.
A crew has followed creative duo Mhairi Hall and David de la Haye on a fascinating artistic journey as they joined forces to explore the underwater world of the Cairngorms in Ceòl Lochan a’ Mhonaidh Ruaidh, or ‘Underwater Cairngorms’.
Embarking on a pioneering year-long project that fuses music, science and the environment together, the pair reveal the eco sound system that lies beneath the surface of our lochs – in a way never seen, or heard before.
Using state-of-the-art underwater microphones, renowned musician Mhairi and award-winning sound recordist David research the seasonal effects on the underwater soundscapes of locations famed for their alluring beauty including Loch Morlich, An Lochan Uaine, Loch Garten and Loch Mallachie, and Uath Lochans.
The new documentary is the latest in the award-winning Trusadh series from MacTV. Ceòl Lochan a’ Mhonaidh Ruaidh showcasing the creative process behind the ‘Underwater Cairngorms’ project as the duo record the underwater environments before composing an experimental suite of new music – the result of their combined research.
Viewers are then treated to a stunning lochside performance of one of the new compositions.
Mhairi explained: “I was delighted to be able to collaborate with David on this ground-breaking project.
“We have discovered every loch has its own unique underwater soundscape, flavours, like an accent, and it changes throughout the year.
“We have used these recordings to inspire newly composed music of the lochs and surrounding environment.
“Our research will also become a digital sound library which will form a baseline for ongoing and future studies, and we hope it will be of interest to creatives and scientists alike.”
“It is a real privilege to lead the way in a project that exposes the wonder and ecological diversity of the special surroundings of my homeland in Badenoch and Strathspey.”
‘Underwater Cairngorms’ was funded by Creative Scotland and supported by Buglife, Naturescot and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.
The information gathered will contribute to bio-acoustic research that is being carried out in other parts of the UK, and around the world, on environmental changes.
• Trusadh - Ceòl Lochan a’ Mhonaidh Ruaidh/Underwater Cairngorms will premiere on BBC ALBA and iPlayer on Monday, February 12 at 9pm (in Gaelic with English subtitles).
Watch live or on demand at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer.
