Peace Amongst Thorns is a sound installation created by artists Gareth Hudson and Toby Thirling and is inspired by Middlesbrough’s early days as a monastic cell, looked after by Benedictine monks.
The installation can be heard throughout the day in the main concourse area of the station, in accordance with the timings of the Liturgy of the Hours the daily prayer cycle of the Christian church. This is followed by monks at Ampleforth Abbey, North Yorkshire where elements of the sound installation were recorded.
The monk’s daily prayer cycle and timings of the sound installation are as follows –
6.00 am Matins
7.30 am Lauds
9:00 am Mass
1.00 pm Sext
6.00 pm Vespers
8.15 pm Compline
Peace Amongst Thorns is a sound installation inspired by Middlesbrough’s early days as a monastic cell – a sacred space or place where monks would perform spiritual activities of prayer and contemplation in solitude. The cell in Middlesbrough may have been declared sacred by St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne and was maintained by an order of Benedictine monks.
To create the sound installation Gareth and Toby collaborated with Benedictine monks from Ampleforth Abbey, North Yorkshire, musicians Jeremy Harbottle and Sarah Paterson and Middlesbrough’s Open Orchestra and Community Choir at the Town Hall.
These recordings have been combined with sounds from the railway station and field recordings from across Middlesbrough to create a soundscape that explores the roles of spirituality and industrial heritage of the region.
The sound installation plays in accordance with the timings of The Liturgy of the Hours – a form of Christian prayer that follows the rhythm of each day through psalms, scripture, and prayers. The work itself is not intended to speak to any one religion, but aims to speak to Middlesbrough’s past, by in part being created by the town’s diverse communities today.
Gareth Hudson is a video installation artist and artist filmmaker. His work is concerned with the contemporary sublime, spiritual or transcendent experience, and examining how moving image and installation can shape our relationship to these themes within liminal spaces.
Toby Thirling is a sound recordist and sound artist. His work aims to provide a unique auditory experience that transcends the everyday, fostering sublime connections which invite listeners to explore deeper layers of consciousness and reflect on their own inner journeys.