Intertidal Perspectives has two movements which include a ‘context’ and ‘perspective’. The first is a field recording of a beadlet anemone (actinia equina) in a rockpool which was recorded with the Beach Rangers. Beadlet anemone is ‘one of the most common in the rocky shores of the British Isles’ (Katcla, 2017) and the recording picks up the sound of the ring of tentacles bringing food to the central mouth. These tentacles have stinging cells called nematocysts which immobilise their prey, so it is easier to eat. Louise Mackenzie has edited this clip to amplify the regular sound of the anemone extending and retracting its tentacles but has left the muffled voices of the Beach Ranges and myself in the background, as although the hydrophone was in the water, it could still pick up sounds that existed beyond the micro-climate of the rockpool. This works as an interesting context, as the Beach Ranges were all astonished at the noise captured by the hydrophones within the rockpools, as one exclaimed that ‘before this, I just thought rockpools were silent! Well, they are silent to us who usually just walk over them or search for crabs, but they are actually really noisy, they sound like Rice Krispies popping’ (BR1, 2021)

It is very hard to accurately replicate the perspective of other species, since we only have our senses and experience to draw upon, and therefore the ‘perspectives’ are more of an artistic interpretation of the contextual field recording. What was important was to consider Oliveros’ methodology of mimicry to form empathy and how that might be replicated in the perspective. Saxophones are wind instruments and therefore ‘breath’ is an integral part of producing sound. This made me think about the ‘zapping’ (BR2) sound the anemone made; how its feeding was as regular and embodied just as breathing is to humans.

It was essential to form a connection between the field recording and the perspective, so the tenor and alto pick up the keynote sounds from the recording and the baritone mimics the feeding of the anemone. It is important to note that the intention for this piece isn’t to mimic the context, but for an initial introduction into the sound world of the quartet, it was important to have a merger of the two, so the perspective is clearly related to the context.

Audible breaths are easy to produce on the saxophone if done so through the reed with keys closed. Therefore, despite other members of the quartet playing sustained notes, the inhalation should still be audible and provide a different timbre to the quartet. In the Presto, there are lots of semitone clashes that work to disturb the tranquillity of the piece. Almost like something disturbing the surface of the rockpool and sending ripples across the surface.

To increase tension and a sense of climax to what is otherwise a calm and meditative piece, flurries of accelerating sex- and septuplets are added until the whole ensemble finally come together to play some block chords, punctuated by aligned breaths. This is the loudest of what is a rather quiet piece; up to this point to the sanctuary of the rock pool has largely been undisturbed but now the tide is coming in and that will be disturbed, as one of the Beach Rangers described the rockpool as being ‘like in a room with a glass ceiling or sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool and looking up’ (BR3).

Despite the piece accumulating in textures and timbre, the mediative nature isn’t disturbed and ends on a tierce di Picardie because although the rockpool will soon be reclaimed by the ocean, it is a cycle that will renew with each passing tide, and there is familiarity in repetition.