WORLD SOUNDSCAPE PROJECT TAPE LIBRARY

VANCOUVER/BC COLLECTION

REEL 116

ANOTHER POTPOURRI July 12, 1973

A

1. SAWMILL: BAY FOREST PRODUCTS 21'40"

B

2. READING OF VANCOUVER NOISE BY-LAW 0'25"

3. MUSICAL HORNS OF THE "BURNACO" 7'20"

C

4. NINE O'CLOCK GUN, and harbour ambience 9'25"

D

5. SQUARE DANCING, Ceperley Playground (4'00")

6. PLAYING MUSIC UNDER PARABOLIC BRIDGE (12'34")

7. PLAYGROUND SOUNDS (4'20")

8. MORE PLAYGROUND SOUNDS (Metal Propeller) (0'40")

9. SWINGS (2'02")

REEL 116 COMMENTARY

1. Some very powerful sounds here, particularly the head rig, chipper and planer sections. Between the head rig and chipper the microphones passed by or near the following operations: bull edger, transfer roll case, trimmer, re-saw, lumber sort, pony edger, splitter saw. Opens outside on road, by the green chain (sorting lumber).

0'55" steam valve whoosh.

2'15" rhythmic panting.

3'15" changing place -- saws in background.

*5'00" head rig, saws screaming in open fifths.

8'30" "bonggg!"

*11'15" approaching chipper.

13'50" recordist giving name of World Soundscape Project to guide (for official purposes) amidst piles of noise!

15'00" moving on toward planer mill.

*16'45" planer scream fades in, high pitch.

18'55" change position.

2. Person reading Vancouver's Noise By-law on a noisy street. Great! Big truck driving by at end of reading.

3. This is Vancouver's one and only Capt. William Coxwell, playing on a custom set of Airchime horns. This is a small coastal freighter. Continued to serenade Sunset Beach this way until shortly after the recording was made, when one or two complaints from local high (not early) risers forced the city to act on its antiquated By-law (see take 2). However, Coxwell still toots into the smaller communities up the coast. Note the increased reverb as the boat approaches; normally the opposite would happen but here Burrard Bridge catches the sound when it is nearest the mics. Compare the musical quality of phrasing in the Alouette fragment with the automated phrasing of the O Canada Horns. Recordists are waiting by wave wash on Sunset Beach for Capt. Coxwell to cruise by, melodiously. Several short tunes are performed. Nice close-up water sloshing sounds.

6'50" last toot, far in the distance.

4. opens with traffic ambience from inside car, lots of wind noise.

1'21" ambience shift, quiet water lapping and low city roar.

2'45" seaplane, note phasing effect.

6'15" recordist tests the microphones.

7'05" smaller more distant boat horns.

*8'00" Pow! It's 9 p.m. Great multiple echo.

8'30" Kingfisher climbs back on its perch with an indignant clatter.

5. Recorded music playing back for square dancing, ends with applause and announcer.

6. H. Broomfield playing slide whistle, pianica; then Howard on pianica, P. Broomfield on slidewhistle; (7'10") Colin Miles, vocals and clapping hands; duck in background, some laughter; last section (8') just hand claps with clear echoes, plus shouts and music bursts. Very raucous as they get into the improv. Ends with multiple hand claps and foot stomps, plus echoes, interrupted by freighter horn in harbour as cadence (12'14")  .

7. Crowd sounds with recordist circling around, kids playing with football, recorded music and guy talking to recordist ("are you blind?" 3'48").

8. Metal "submarine" propeller, hand operated, very loud, grinding and clangorous. Interesting rhythms.

9. Kids on swings, not very clear, radio in background (1'08"), slide whistle at end.


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