Awaken your ears to a new sound discovery at Prior Park!
Chirp! Twittering! A swish, a swoosh and a rustling of the trees. Begin your walk through Prior Park Landscape Garden and take a moment to listen to the sounds of nature before discovering a pop up musical playground.
Inspired by the landscape of Prior Park, Sound UK have challenged adventure play company TouchWood to make a group of ‘woodland instruments’. Nestled within Prior Park grounds the musical playground is for you to discover, explore and play.
Tell your family and bring your friends and try out your music-making skills together!
Suitable for all ages.
TONGUE DRUM: The Tongue Drum is one of the oldest instruments in human history, the drum is of Aztec origin. Early Tongue Drums were made of hollowed trees which were hit with sticks to create percussion tones. The Tongue Drum was used for storytelling and as a "battle cry" instrument in warfare in early African history.
HOLLOW PIPES: The Hollow pipes make use of an old tree stand in the woods. Use the paddles or using the flat of your hand on the base of the hollowed bamboo pieces to create a wave of sound in woods.
SPEAKING STUMPS: The Talking Stumps allow you to commutate across the woods, even a whisper of sound can travel a long way. Once you have found where they are hidden get a friend to whisper a message to you.
DROP PIPES: The Drop Pipes are designed to be used as part of a larger structure such as the cladding around a treehouse. They are played by dropping/throwing down the pipes onto a rubber seal which creates a wave of sound. An alternative way to play this instrument is by lifting the pipe off the seal and using the flat of your hand on the top hollow.
Click here for sneak peek inside TouchWood's workshop...
About TouchWood
TouchWood are everything from sculptors to Landscape architects, play experts to groundbreaking designers. More generally, they are fun loving people who are passionate about play, the environment and ethical business.
About Prior Park Landscape Garden
Beautiful and intimate 18th-century landscape garden in Bath. One of only four Palladian bridges of this design in the world can be crossed at Prior Park, which was created in the 18th century by local entrepreneur Ralph Allen, with advice from 'Capability' Brown and the poet Alexander Pope.
The garden is set in a sweeping valley where visitors can enjoy magnificent views of Bath. Restoration of the 'Wilderness' has reinstated the Serpentine Lake, Cascade and Cabinet.
A five-minute walk leads to the Bath Skyline, a six-mile circular route encompassing beautiful woodlands and meadows, an Iron Age hill fort, Roman settlements, 18th-century follies and spectacular views.
