one thousand birds symphony - GRICE Evening Performance

Posted on 24th April 2025

‘a harmonic and sometimes dissonant conversation between humans and the natural world’

‘A study of feathered strength and Iridescence’

A premier surround sound immersive performance and playback of the 10 track award winning album and film ’one thousand birds symphony’ by British art rock artist GRICE. Performed by GRICE and accompanied by sound designer and musician Duncan Chave, the event incorporates audio from the album and the live manipulation of sound with elements of electronica, digital glitch and live improvised instrumentation set to a kaleidoscope of visual projections, film and digital imagery created by GRICE. The audio will be presented in surround sound to create a dynamic soundscape and a three-dimensional spacial audio environment.

This event emphasises the importance of the effect of nature on mental health and hopefully raise awareness of ‘The Red List’ of birds in danger of extinction. The performance is set in a virtual sonic forest of layered imagery, bird-scapes, sonics and sounds using field recordings, vocals, electronic glitch and instruments to form an ever-evolving soundscape designed to introduce new and ‘lost’ birdsong to the listener and to create a connection with the natural world.

‘one thousand birds symphony’ was created between March and December 2020 deep in ‘The Shire’, when the artist developed a personal connection with the robins, blackbirds and other passerines that surrounded him during isolation and lockdown. Throughout this period, the artist was driven to rise with the birds each morning to listen, record and archive their behaviour and songs. This obsession resulted in a thousand unique birdsongs and melodies scattered across an equal number of hard drives, discs and memory cards.

QUOTE FROM THE ARTIST:

“The philosophy of birds – their iridescence, endurance, vulnerability and strength and their musical integrity is something to behold. This music is dedicated to the birds, the true masters in the art of life (and flying). These are my letters from isolation and this is my tribute to the birds. Their majesty saved me from myself and I owe them much. May there always be birdsong above the battlefields.” G

REVIEWS

‘This is stunningly clever, and to my mind a genius work.’ – The Progressive Aspect ‘There are bewitching passages of avant-classical beauty, a true original’ – PROG

‘This masterpiece entailed quite a sum of patience and intellectual creation in the formation of a majestic program of partial symphonic compositions mixed with actual field recordings of various birds and other nature sounds and brilliant electronically created sounds, then arranged around melodies and songs. Highly Recommended’ – Big Beautiful Noise

AWARDS

Best Music Feature – Mykonos International Film Awards, Greece | Best Arthouse Short Film – Sipontum Arthouse International Film Festival, Italy | Best Original Music Score – Cine Paris Film Festival, France | Best Original Score (finalist) – World Class Film Awards, Mexico | Wildlife & Environment (semi-finalist)—UFFS Universal Film Festival Samothraki, Greece | English Riviera Film Festival official selection, 10th Anniversary Screenings (2025)

GRICE

London born musician, singer songwriter, producer GRICE started his musical journey as a percussionist at the Trinity School of John Whitgift followed by Croydon Art College where he spent his formative years as a musician and performer. His first public performance was at the age of 11 supporting Dame Vera Lynn as a chorister at the Royal Albert Hall. After forming and playing with a number of post-punk bands in Sound London, he continued his musical journey in the South West. He has released 6 solo albums on his label hungersleep records, he is the Creative Director and manager of Sound Gallery Studios in Exeter and has worked with many solo artists and bands. His shimmering musical alchemy of art-rock, prog and avant-pop and NuJazz synthesis merged with his emotive song-craft and his innovative approach to manipulating both analogue and digital sounds have led to successful collaborations with high profile musicians including Richard Barbieri (Japan, Porcupine Tree), Steve Jansen (Japan, Exit North), Hossam Ramzy (Peter Gabriel), Raphael
Ravenscroft (Pink Floyd, Vangelis/Blade Runner) and B J Cole (Elton John, Marc Bolan, Scott Walker).

DUNCAN CHAVE

Duncan works for Sound Gallery Studios as Sound and Recording Engineer, Producer and Teacher he is also a sound designer, composer, musician and programmer who has worked with sound and music in theatre, film, tv, with orchestras, rock bands and voice. His theatre work includes productions at the National Theatre (including: His Dark Materials, Macbeth and Angels in America,) at the Royal Opera House (Dalston Songs) with Theatre Alibi on many shows, including Falling, Curiosity Shop, and Goucher’s War, also many productions at the Exeter Northcott, and for English Touring Theatre, Foursight Theatre, and Dragon Breath Theatre, as well as many West End and national touring musicals including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The King and I. Duncan has also worked on many sound installations including at the Tate’s Clore Gallery and the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.

https://grice.bandcamp.com/album/one-thousand-birds-symphony