Occupying four floors of the Halifax Central Library, Tom Richards' Fictional Music weaves together elements of architecture and literature. On every level you will find a group of musicians, each playing a part in the composition. As you pass from one floor to the next, you will hear one element fade out and another emerge. In this way, you can “mix” the music by moving through the space. Fictional Music asks “Can a library become a labyrinth? Can sound be a cypher? Is our experience a mirror for the stories we tell?”
Composed by Tom Richards
Audio recorded and mixed by Tom Richards
To watch the film, go here:
youtu.be/rEYvQjBdYg4?si=nZVjThrcsfcH7KkT
Nicola Miller - Saxophone
Jackson Fairfax-Perry - Electronics
Geordie Haley - Guitar
Gabriella Ciurcovich - Bass
Andrew Miller - Drums
Sam Wilson - Guitar
Ross Burns - Guitar
India Gailey - Cello
Ellen Gibling - Harp
Andrew MacKelvie - Saxophone
Inspired by The Library of Babel, by Jorge Luis Borges
“In the vestibule there is a mirror, which faithfully duplicates appearances. People often infer from this mirror that the Library is not infinite - if it were, what need would there be for that illusory replication? I prefer to dream that burnished surfaces are a figuration and promise of the infinite ...”
- J.L. Borges
Conceived by Sam Wilson and Tom Richards
Thanks to Arts Nova Scotia and the Halifax Central Library
released December 22, 2023