Simon Morris
This is my second year at NSotA. This year's project is a continuation of the one I started in the first with its overarching theme of place and being ‘most in a place’, all anchored within the parish boundary where I live in Hampshire, UK.
And while last year was focused around people, at the beginning of term I became fixated with the idea of a parish boundary and what it represents.
The boundary is this semi-fictitious territory that used to act as a demarcation line for the church and head family in the parish. It was a way of control and extracting money from people within the boundary line.
There was an annual event in village parishes where the church and hierarchy walked the boundary line with young boys from the parish in tow.
They would beat the boundary with branches to remind people where it was and to effectively not stray over the line. It’s said that they also used to beat the boys in case they thought to wander. It’s unknown whether this was in jest or serious.
I’ve tried to walk the boundary line myself and it’s impossible now without jumping walls, gates, hedges, and walking across land deemed to be private. It’s just a line on a map, and one only shown within the village. But to me, it feels like I should be able to walk it.
Somewhere during the course of the year the project became an expression of sound – a sonic response to the idea of the parish boundary. It’s a concept album about an hour long. The eight tracks are made from at least 50% local recordings, including percussion played on the many gates and posts along the boundary line. They became an expression of inaccessibility and a theme playing throughout the album.
Listen to the piece here :
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