Thickness

Sound (2000) 13' flute, viola and digital music

"Thickness" is the preferred name used by fishing communities on the Buchan coast of NE Scotland for the coastal sea mist or haar which rises from the sea and creeps slowly across the land. There are many superstitions and stories about this sea mist, passed down over generations. One such story, of which examples can also be found on parts of the east coast of North America and Canada, tells of widows leaving the front doors of their homes open as the thickness starts to creep over the land; legend states that the souls of fishermen drowned at sea were contained in the mist.

Thickness was commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with funds provided by Shell UK. The first performance (Lis Dooner - flute, Sophie Renshaw - viola) took place on 20th October 2000 at the Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen as part of the Looking out to Sea project, co-ordinated by Stephen Deazley.


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