An artistic collaboration featuring the Haydock Band is set to bring current political, social and personal issues that affect the people of Merseyside town of St Helens into the spotlight — all through the innovative use of 16 different bugle calls and placards.

Town affairs

Artists Rebecca French and Andrew Mottershead have been researching, interviewing and listening to local people in a bid to capture a sense of the town's affairs for their project called 'Brass Calls'.

Locally-relevant issues such as zero hour contracts, town centre skateboarding, the Hardshaw Centre benches and Saints will all be featured, along with individual tales and stories from local residents.

Brass Calls

'Brass Calls' is made up of short musical pieces that will call on local people to address the issues inspired by the musical catalysts they hear as they pass by the centre of the town.

The artists told 4BR: "The subjects we have chosen to convey in these calls are human stories about relationships to one another, to work, and the town. The calls take note of personal or public situations raised by a variety of local people during interviews and workshops.

Each mini-drama has inspired a lyric, written as a short poetic call to action; from a parent calling 'get out yer pit' to their teenager, to a skateboarder defending their rights, and the clarion call to keep the last glass 'ribbon floatin'.

These are then elevated into brief, beautiful musical phrases to fill the local Church Square."

The subjects we have chosen to convey in these calls are human stories about relationships to one another, to work, and the townArtists — Rebecca French and Andrew Mottershead

Compact scores

Working with composer Adam D J Taylor, the calls have been turned into compact musical scores which have been performed and recorded by Haydock Band.

Contest Secretary Lisa Forbes told 4BR: "We have enjoyed working on the 'Bugle Call' project. It's been a great experience working with the renowned artists French & Mottershead researching ideas, and with the composer to perform a range of bugle calls relating to the town."

Dates

The project takes place on August 7th & 8th with the calls played over speakers around Church Square as contemporary 'Calls to Action'.

The bugle calls will be accompanied by placards held up with printed lyrics with the chance for people to follow the events on Twitter with the hashtag #BrassCalls and handle @theheartofglass