Peering through the Butterfly Wheel
by MARK WALTER
As I entered the stately John’s Place, the home of The Hastings Museum since 1928, I was intrigued by what I was going to witness in the grand Durbar Hall. The atmosphere was one of calm as the audience slowly entered the hall – many carrying yoga mats, cushions, and eye masks. The night had been billed as one of ‘sound immersion’ and the audience was geared up for a relaxing experience.
I had been invited to the event by Maria Christofi, the co-founder of Sound Immersion along with the Butterfly Wheel, formed a decade ago and comprising Alice Ancient (vocals) and Myrrh Moon (keyboards and backing vocals).
Maria explained, “The majestic Durbar Hall and its acoustic potential was already on my radar as a potential venue since before the pandemic, so when The Butterfly Wheel visited Hastings in 2022 and loved the vibe here, talk of a collaborative event started brewing. The Durbar Hall was the obvious backdrop since we all share an interest in the ancient world, which is ever present in the Durbar Hall’s lower and upper gallery.”
Maria and The Butterfly Wheel collaborated for the first time last November for sell-out shows at the Museum. They are both driven by a shared interest in myth and esoteric philosophy, and are currently planning more events together at the Durbar Hall this Spring. Maria also has an upcoming sound event with local music producer Jules Dickens (Abstract Source) at the Observer Building in May, and The Butterfly Wheel will be hosting smaller concerts in the coming months both here and in Brighton. Maria is a Hastings resident and is a fully qualified acupuncturist (Bsc), sound therapist and a graduate of The British Academy of Sound. She is also a regular contributor of sonic art and sound-related articles to The Wild Alchemy Lab Journal and holds workshops and one-to-one sound therapy sessions in Hastings. It amazes me how people respond to sound in one-to-one sessions where sound vibration can be just as focused as an acupuncture needle.
Maria explains, “The concept of our ‘sound immersion’ is rooted in the intention to create a journey of sound that presents a new experience underpinned by the storytelling of The Butterfly Wheel’s songs. I wanted to create an event that is a step beyond a traditional sound bath, and that takes participants through various stages of not only hearing sound but feeling it too, via the vibrations of the gong and other instruments. King Crimson is a musical inspiration as well as the more acid side of folk; ancient and bardic songs, psychedelic British and world music – we all share these musical tastes as well as an interest in historical sites and the ritual use of sound and spoken word through the ages. This all forms the sonic bedrock on which ‘sound immersion’ and the creative vision for future events rests. Our intention, going forward, is to create an interweaving between song crafting and instruments that have been used therapeutically – to showcase these more unusual instruments that have ancient connections to the landscape of musical performance.
Maria has been in various musical projects before and also plays the guitar, in her words, “in a very non-traditional way to conjure up a mood or soundscape, even though I often won’t know which note I’m playing!”
Maria is available for one-to-one sound therapy sessions and group events in Hastings. The Sound Apothecary and the Butterfly Wheel have more shows at the Hastings Museum on the 29th and 30th April; see social media for more details.
Instagram @thebutterflywheel
Instagram: @the_soundapothecary.
Facebook: The Sound Apothecary
Facebook: The butterfly Wheel
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