Water Towers: Meadow at Hourglass Lake
Artistʼs Inspiration
When I was 21 years old, I read a book called The Gifts of Unknown Things by Lyall Watson, a radical thinker operating on the margins of accepted science. In it Watson describes Tia, a young girl living on an island in the Indonesian archipelago who possesses the magical gift of seeing sounds in color. Watson also writes about how the Earth has a natural pulse in the upper atmosphere, resonating at a rate of 69 beats per day. The pulse forms a deep note well below human powers of hearing. As a tribute to Watson, the installation consists of 69 towers that change color according to the music played from them. As a result, visitors will experience sound translated into color, just as Tia did.
–Bruce Munro
Watch Longwood staff, volunteers, and Bruce Munro creating Water Towers
Materials
- —17,388 1-liter recyclable bottles
- —552 laser-cut wood layers
- —42.9 mi (69,000 m) bare optic fiber
- —69 LED light sources with hand-painted color wheels
- —23 speakers
- —1 audio control box
- —1 solid-state music player
- —This installation uses 1,500 watts of power—similar to energy used by a standard electric heater
All materials will be recycled or reused in future installations by Munro. The bottles will be recycled locally.
Playlist
| Title | Artist | Composer |
| Dreams | Goran Bregovic | Goran Bregovic |
| O Clap Your Hands | Chanticleer | Orlando Gibbons |
| Ibhubesi (The Lion Song) | Ladysmith Black Mambazo | Traditional South African |
| AXAXAXAS MLO part I | The Shout | Orlando Gough |
| AXAXAXAS MLO part II | The Shout | Orlando Gough |
| AXAXAXAS MLO part III | The Shout | Orlando Gough |
| AXAXAXAS MLO part IV | The Shout | Orlando Gough |
| AXAXAXAS MLO part V | The Shout | Orlando Gough |
| Tarantella | Ethel | Phil Kline |
| Ederlezi | Goran Bregovic | Goran Bregovic |
| Nunc dimittis | New York Polyphony | Andrew Smith |
| Wenyukela | Ladysmith Black Mambazo | Traditional South African |
| Trad: Det Lisle Banet (The Little Child) | Trio Mediaeval | Traditional Norwegian |
| Come Unto These Yellow Sands | Shout | Orlando Gough |
| A Song Of Solomon | Shout | Orlando Gough |
| Hlohonolofatsa | Soweto Gospel Choir | Traditional South African |
| Hodie Christus natus est | New York Polyphony | Giovanni Palestrini |
| Trad: Springdans Fra Vestfold | Trio Mediaeval | Traditional Norwegian |
| Arabesco | Son de la Frontera | Diego del Gastor |
| O Waly, Waly | Chanticleer | Traditional Scottish |
| Where The Bee Sucks | Shout | Orlando Gough |
| Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child | New York Polyphony | Kenneth Leighton |
| Umusa Kankulunkula | Ladysmith Black Mambazo | Traditional South African |
| Trad: Eg Aktar Inkje | Trio Mediaeval | Traditional Norwegian |
| Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Minor | Yo-Yo Ma | J.S. Bach |
| Love Hearts | Shout | Orlando Gough |
| Ave Maria Mater Dei | New York Polyphony | William Cornysh |
| Recuerdo | Son de la Frontera | Diego del Gastor |
Longwood Gardens wishes to thank the many artists, composers and record labels who have given permission for their music to be experienced along with the Water Towers in Bruce Munro's installation, "Light", including Avie Records for New York Polyphony and Cantaloupe Music for Ethel.
Flora & Fauna
