The Singing Places

Astley, Virginia (2025) The Singing Places. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

Preview

Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

The Singing Places is a threefold thesis comprising a collection of poetry, a book-length work of creative non-fiction essays and an extended musical composition. My overarching aim is to fully explore how acoustic and emotional resonance influences our creative engagement with place. In creating this work, I demonstrate the way in which sonic landscapes embed themselves deep within us and how the aural environment is as significant in shaping our experience of place as physical or visual elements. My objective is to contribute to, and expand, the advancement of contemporary place writing by emphasising the often-overlooked role of the acoustic environment, positioning it at the forefront of our understanding and appreciation of place. The original intention was to focus my research on the upper reaches of the river Thames, however, due to Covid, I based the initial part of my project in West Dorset where I live. This is an area that was written about, and known intimately, by Thomas Hardy (1840-1928). My research methods have included walking, conversations, investigating church porches, playing music in outdoor locations, making field-recordings and conducting archival research. I worked collaboratively with my twin sister, a conservation architect, and with my daughter, a musician. As I was able to explore what it means to think about a single idea – resonance – through different processes and several representational forms, this thesis makes a significant contribution to current debates in the development of practice-based knowledge. Sound is intrinsic to our experience of place and, if we take the time to tune in to this, we gain a richer experience of the landscapes through which we travel.