Monet in Mind: Exhibition Soundtrack

Posted: 3rd June 2021

One Summer, Long Ago

Composed specifically for the Monet in Mind exhibition at Ferens Art Gallery, this piece invites the listener to take a step back and view the works on display as a collective.

Over the past year, Adam Pattrick, the composer, has looked to music and sound as an escape from the stresses of his daily life, channelling his concerns into his art. Inspired by childhood visits to the seaside, this composition seeks to transport the listener to a simpler time, where they may reflect and practice mindfulness free from the burdens of the present.

One Summer, Long Ago uses a musical form of onomatopoeia to represent physical aspects of the surrounding works. Listen out for shimmering guitar chords that mimic the seas waves, twinkling piano lines that suggest the sun glistening upon the waters surface, or the dark percussion that implies impending inclement weather.

This arrangement features audio recordings taken on a summer’s day this year, the 12th May 2021. A day that, due to events of the past year, is markedly different from the setting evoked by the piece. The music of One Summer, Long Ago recontextualizes this audio, and stands as a reminder of how music and art can help us better appreciate each day, and improve our wellbeing.

Artist Biography: Adam Pattrick

Adam Pattrick is an emerging composer and sound designer, currently based in Hull. Working from his home studio, Adam specialises in creating immersive and thought-provoking audio for film, television and theatre.

Taking an emotional approach to composition, Adam immerses himself in the works he writes for, often spending days studying storyboards, reading scripts and analysing imagery.

Once he has attained a proficient understanding of the subject, Adam maps out his interpretations, using these as the foundations for song writing.

Adam’s compositions often blur the lines between genres, drawing influence from jazz, electronic, rock and experimental hip-hop. In 2020, Adam created arrangements in collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe and the Cambridge School of Creative Industries.

Piece Concept: Monet in Mind

Through this composition, Adam explores the concept of ‘mindfulness’. Is mindfulness objective? Can it’s definition vary from person to person?

During the pandemic, Adam was living in student accommodation, trying desperately to finish his degree in isolation, without access to suitable facilities. Adam used music and sound as an escape from the world around him and the stress of education. Setting aside time each day to write and perform music slowly gave Adam’s life some much needed structure, which then permeated through to his academic pursuits.

This piece combines elements from idea’s written during the first lockdown, recontextualised in to an original arrangement that draws further inspiration from the works of art on display.

Explore more about the Monet in Mind exhibition here: MonetinMind.com