The new sound artwork Silentii allows visitors to experience centuries-old music in a unique way.The new sound artwork Silentii allows visitors to experience centuries-old music in a unique way. As the name suggests, the aim is to hush visitors. Entering the circle of the artwork, you are immersed in polyphonic sounds. This soothing music invites you to pause for a moment, to reflect or to relax.
The installation consists of five speakers arranged on a metal arch. From each speaker you hear one voice of the polyphone or many-voiced piece. Depending on where you stand, you are going to hear one or other of the voices more prominently. It is also possible to listen to just one voice. The visitor chooses what works best for him or her.
Silentii revives the centuries-old music tradition of the abbey. It will become one of the permanent sounds of the site, alongside the carillon and the sounds of nature, and thus becomes part of the daily rhythm of the magnificent abbey.
Tradition in renewal, renewal in tradition
The polyphonic sound installation is in keeping with the genesis of Park Abbey and its identity. Music has always played a major role in the abbey. In the 12th century, the monks were already singing Gregorian chants. These religious chants were often the starting point for polyphony: more and more voices were added to the one-voice Gregorian chant. Gregorian monophony evolved into the more drawn-out melodic lines of the Renaissance polyphony. And, anno 2022, this tradition is still present at Park Abbey. Research institute Alamire Foundation, based on the site, has been studying Flemish polyphony for thirty years. The Silentii installation goes public with the results of this ongoing research around the musical heritage of the low countries, and presents this centuries-old music to a wide audience.
Silentii in Park Abbey
For more than 900 years, the abbey has been a place where contemplation and in-depth examination are at the core. The mystical tranquillity that hangs here between ponds, fields and abbey has worked like a magnet for centuries. Visitors will certainly notice the installation, because it has been given a central place on the Neerhof. It is placed behind the metal fence between the water mill and the entrance to the abbey, where you have a beautiful view over the ponds. It adds a new sound to the abbey. As the name suggests, the aim is to hush visitors. Entering the circle of the artwork, you are immersed in polyphonic sounds. This soothing music invites you to pause for a moment, to reflect or to relax.
The installation consists of five speakers arranged on a metal arch. From each speaker you hear one voice of the polyphone or many-voiced piece. Depending on where you stand, you are going to hear one or other of the voices more prominently. It is also possible to listen to just one voice. The visitor chooses what works best for him or her.
Silentii revives the centuries-old music tradition of the abbey. It will become one of the permanent sounds of the site, alongside the carillon and the sounds of nature, and thus becomes part of the daily rhythm of the magnificent abbey.
Tradition in renewal, renewal in tradition
The polyphonic sound installation is in keeping with the genesis of Park Abbey and its identity. Music has always played a major role in the abbey. In the 12th century, the monks were already singing Gregorian chants. These religious chants were often the starting point for polyphony: more and more voices were added to the one-voice Gregorian chant. Gregorian monophony evolved into the more drawn-out melodic lines of the Renaissance polyphony. And, anno 2022, this tradition is still present at Park Abbey. Research institute Alamire Foundation, based on the site, has been studying Flemish polyphony for thirty years. The Silentii installation goes public with the results of this ongoing research around the musical heritage of the low countries, and presents this centuries-old music to a wide audience.
Silentii in Park Abbey
For more than 900 years, the abbey has been a place where contemplation and in-depth examination are at the core. The mystical tranquillity that hangs here between ponds, fields and abbey has worked like a magnet for centuries. Visitors will certainly notice the installation, because it has been given a central place on the Neerhof. It is placed behind the metal fence between the water mill and the entrance to the abbey, where you have a beautiful view over the ponds. It adds a new sound to the abbey.
