Planted Symphony – The Garden

White paper flowers shaped like pom poms stand on sticks in the musical garden.

A collaboration between Drake Music and Arts & Gardens.

Planted Symphony asked the question “what if a garden could make music”?

First performed as Part of Liberty Festival 2017 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Planted Symphony was a playful, music-led performance, where the audience becomes players in an orchestra as they journey through different sonic areas in the garden; strings, voice and percussion.

A man wearing sunglasses and a checked shirt hugs a tree tightly.

If you’ve ever dreamed of smelling a flower and hearing music, hugging a tree and hearing it sing or playing a park bench like a xylophone; then this is for you.

Planted Symphony is an innovative interactive performance which works holistically within green space,  allowing audiences to listen to the music of nature (with a little bit of help from tech!).

Planted Symphony, The Garden combined the creativity of Disabled artists with the skills of DM’s accessible music technologists and Arts and Gardens’ unique approach to connecting people with green spaces.

The result? A unique outdoor  musical experience for people of all ages to enjoy.

Planted Symphony was a collaboration between Disabled and non-disabled artists and creatives. It was produced by Drake Music and Arts and Gardens, commissioned by Greenwich and Docklands Festival and the Mayor of London’s Liberty Festival.

The project featured:

  • Jo-anne Cox – Cello
  • Ruairi Glasheen – Percussion
  • Cassandra Gurling – Voice and keyboard
  • Charles Matthews – Lead Technologist
  • Tom Fox – Supporting Technologist
  • Tim Yates – Supporting Technologist
  • Tim Byrnes – Production Manager
  • RNSS Ltd – Sound

Images: Robert Piwko
Video: Bhavesh and Ishan Hindocha