The world premiere of a new work by Glasgow based British-Finnish artist and composer Hanna Tuulikki is to be performed at Glasgow Cathedral later this year.
Commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) with Arts&Heritage, Tuulikki’s new vocal musical composition the bird that never flew explores the ancient Cathedral’s roots in ornithological entanglements, bringing together sacred lament and ecological political protest to raise the alarm for critically endangered birds and the impacts of climate change.
Drawing on sacred music traditions, myth and ecology, Tuulikki’s new composition for three voices, field recordings and electronics, weaves together what the robin knows of past, present, and future. With its distinctive red breast and warbling song, the European robin plays a prominent role in the life of Glasgow’s patron saint, St Mungo, who is said to have brought a dead bird back to life by holding it in his hands, smoothing its feathers, and praying until the lifeless creature revived. The fable is encapsulated in a rhyme well known to Glasgow children, whose second line gives title to the piece.
This is the tree that never grew
This is the bird that never flew
This is the fish that never swam
This is the bell that never rang
In a time where the numbers of wild birds in Britain have declined drastically, Mungo’s story of empathy with nature prompts us to consider how they might support other species faced with the dangers of climate change.
Commenting on the work, artist and composer Hanna Tuulikki said “As a starting point for the composition, I ask: What if we were able to translate the alarm calls of birds into human language and discovered these signals were alerting all beings to the destruction of the earth? What if these alarm calls were a collective call to rise and protest?
“The invitation to respond to the historic and sacred setting of Glasgow Cathedral has been such a privilege and I felt so inspired by St. Mungo’s robin – the bird that never flew. The story prompted me to consider how we might show compassion to bird species who are severely impacted by human-made climate chaos. With this new work, I hope to create a space that both mourns biodiversity loss and sounds the alarm.”
This urgent new work follows on from Tuulikki’s silent ‘bat rave’, Echo in the dark, 2022 at Arbroath’s Hospitalfield, and Seals’kin, 2022 commissioned for the Biennial of Sydney and shown at British Art Show 9.
Live performances by Tuulikki, alongside award winning Scottish vocalist Mischa Macpherson and Glasgow-based voice and sound artist Lucy Duncombe, are on Friday 8th September and Saturday 9th September.
As well as the two performances in September, Tuulikki is also inviting audiences on a “Dawn Chorus Walk” on Sunday 10th September at 6am in Glasgow’s Necropolis for a deep listening exploration of the urban bird habitat that inspired the work. Those involved can walk, listen and reflect on what they can do to raise the alarm for the precious bird species they share their city with.
For more information to book tickets go to: the bird that never flew
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 