Classic FM: Singing Ringing Tree is a 'futuristic nightmare'

Since its inception in 2007, many visitors have flocked to our Singing Ringing Tree sculpture which is situated in Burnley and stands out against the stark, rolling landscape of the Pennines.

Singing Ringing Tree is a 3-meter-tall, wind-powered musical sculpture made of galvanized steel pipes, which swirl to form the shape of a tree bent and blown by the wind, and produce an eerie, melodious hum as the constant wind on Crown Point drifts through them. The pipes are used for both aesthetic qualities as well as for tuning, with their sound varied according to length and added narrow slits on the underside of specific pipes. The sound produced by these twisted metal trees covers several octaves and is said to be simultaneously discordant and melancholy, and intensely beautiful.

The Singing Ringing Tree has been a source of inspiration for various composers and musicians, most notably sound artist John Keston who spent 5 days at the site recordeding a duet with the sculpture.

Classic FM have described the sound of the tree as ‘oscillating between a melodious hum to a nightmarish whistle depending on the force of the wind coming off the moor.’

You can read the article in its entirety on the Classic FM website.