Brighton: Symphony of a City

7 ECHOES

Location: Brighton, The City Of Brighton And Hove, England, United Kingdom

Liz Webb

A kaleidoscopic view of this unique seaside town which evokes the past and the extraordinary everyday. A vibrant score from Ed Hughes animates daily activities and festive and historical events. Film by Lizzie Thynne.

The video clips on this app are from the film Brighton: Symphony of a City. Available to view at: https://vimeo.com/193554787. DVD available to purchase at: https://divineartrecords.com/recording/symphonic-visions-new-music-for-silent-films/

All period archive footage is courtesy of Screen Archive South East, University of Brighton

Brighton: Symphony of a City was commissioned by the Brighton Festival and premiered live at Brighton Dome on 11 May 2016 by the Orchestra of Sound and Light conducted by Ed Hughes.

East of Pier - Brighton Swimmers

The Brighton Swimming Club started in 1860 and has been running ever since.Members swim all year, including in this clip in the dark winter month of December at 6am. Initially bathing outside bathing machines was only permitted between 6am and 8am!

Doughnut Groyne - Father Neptune

Included in this clip is an extract from Father Neptune; Beach Snapshots part 3, 1950-52, The Roger Dunford Collection available on BFI player. It shows a popular ritual from the time, the origins of which are mysterious, that involved wearing fancy dress and being dunked in the sea.

Talking Telescope

The footage of Volks railway shown in this clip (from Brighton and Other Places of Interest, John Midderigh 1966, Courtesy, Screen Archive South East) dates from 1968. The earliest electric railway, it was designed by Magnus Volks and opened in 1883 and runs from the Aquarium (Sea Life Centre) to Black Rock. In the clip you can see the wonderful art deco Black Rock pool demolished in 1979, before lidos became fashionable again.

Promenade Kings Road

Reflecting Brighton’s continuing radical history, contemporary protests are intercut with fascinating footage of communist marches celebrating the 21st anniversary of the Russian Revolution (Ernie Trory, Sussex People’s Scrapbook 1938).

War Memorial Marches

International Brigade volunteers returning from the Spanish civil war are welcomed and place a wreath in commemoration of their fallen comrades on the Brighton war memorial (Ernie Trory, Sussex People’s Scrapbook 1938).

Pier Clock Tower Parade

Brighton is a city which loves parades and rituals, traditional and modern. The annual ‘Burning of the Clocks’ on 21 December is a community event which marks the winter solstice culminating in a giant bonfire on the beach, a token of the year’s end.

Brighton Station

Echoing its inspiration, Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (Walter Ruttmann, 1927), this sequence features the rush hour at Brighton Station, a Grade 1 listed building, with a surprise glimpse for frustrated commuters of the railway of yester year from Southern Railway, 1937-38, Eric Sparks (by kind permission of R Bamberough).

1 sound

DOWNLOAD OUR APP TO DISCOVER THIS TOUR AND MANY OTHERS.

Or start creating tours, treasure hunts, POI maps... Just let your imagination guide you.

Other walks nearby

MA DMA 2017 Soundwalk Brighton

MA DMA 2017 Soundwalk Brighton

Brighton, The City Of Brighton And Hove, England, United Kingdom

Created as part of the MA Digital Media Arts course at University of Brighton, this unique soundwalk captures some of the key 'soundmarks' of Brighton & Hove and places them in public spaces. Some of these field recordings are to be found at the site of their initial recording and others have been processed and collaged and then placed in locations away from the site of their capture. Either way, the listener is invited to reconsider how we listen to everyday sounds (noise) in relation to the urban landscape around us.

Heritage XR - Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange ST

Heritage XR - Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange ST

A demonstrator of higher order ambisonics streaming over 5G for Brighton Dome and Digital Catapult's Heritage XR programme, this walk tells the story of three moments in the history of Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange.

skitballe

skitballe

Heritage XR - Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange

Heritage XR - Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange

A demonstrator of higher order ambisonics streaming over 5G for Brighton Dome and Digital Catapult's Heritage XR programme, this walk tells the story of three moments in the history of Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange.

Soundworks 2022

Soundworks 2022

Mark Leckey O' Magic Power of Bleakness

tunnels

tunnels

Experience Brighton from another perspective

Interactive Soundwalk

Interactive Soundwalk

abstract soundscape

abstract soundscape

By the river

By the river

Are you a creator?

Get in touch

hello@echoes.xyz

support@echoes.xyz

+44 (0)7895 691248

Echoes creative apps

Membership & pricing

Creator Log in/Sign up

Echoes labs

About us

Love what we do? ➔ become our Open Collective backer

Privacy & cookie policy / Terms and conditions

© ECHOES. All rights reserved / ECHOES.XYZ Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, Registered office at Merston Common Cottage, Merston, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 1BE

v2.5.15 © ECHOES. All rights reserved.