124 Years of Reverb

12 decades of sound, 124 years of reverb: The title of Jonny Greenwood's piece for organ always adapts to the age of the church in which it is performed. Greenwood, exceptional composer, guitarist and keyboardist for the bands Radiohead and The Smile, explores the sonic history that has seeped into the church walls through the years.
Still the largest protestant church in the Rhineland today, the protestant church at Markt Katernberg was built in 1901 to provide a spiritual sanctuary for the many people who came to work in the Ruhr region. Over 1,400 people could be seated during services – this dimension is reflected in the nickname ‘Miners' Cathedral’. Built in the Romanesque style - simple but huge - the church has excellent acoustics due to the wooden ceiling, which allows the organ built by famous organ builder Wilhelm Sauer to resonate particularly vibrantly.

124 Years of Reverb is a sonic exploration, where the sound reverberates in the performance space and engulfs the audience. New notes are gradually introduced, inspired by the Carnatic music of South India. Every hour the virtuoso organists James McVinnie and Eliza McCarthy take turns over the course of eight hours. The two experts in contemporary music have already performed the work in both England and the USA.

Layer by layer they open up the whole tonal range of sound of the Wilhelm Sauer organ. The work begins in the inaudible spectrum and runs through the many frequencies available to the instrument. The play of light unfolds simultaniously through the church windows throughout the day. Audiences can come and go as they please, either over the 8-hour period or in 2-hour time slots.