Words Dept.: entry

I went to see the Le Corbusier exhibition in Liverpool yesterday. It was pretty good, although I found the layout a bit confusing – I prefer a chronological approach rather than a thematic one if it’s not a subject I’m especially familiar with. I’d also have liked a bit more of a focus on the influence of “Corb” on post-war British architecture. Since the exhibition is organised by RIBA, this is sort of what I was expecting. On the other hand, there were some terrific exhibits in there, not least some remarkable wooden models, including the Church of Saint-Pierre at Ferminy and the Unité d’Habitation in Marseille.

The exhibition is held in the Crypt underneath the Metropolitan Cathedral. I’ve only been in here once before and that was for a university exam, when the place was full of little wooden desks. The space itself is spectacular (it’s the only part of Sir Edward Lutyens’ original concept for the cathedral to have been completed) but the approach by foot is torturous. We followed signs for the Crypt and soon enough found ourselves stumbling through a building site. After squeezing between a gap in a fence we then found our path blocked and had to about turn before finally finding the entrance after gambolling over a footbridge in near total darkness (it was about 4.30pm). This wasn’t ideal.

Then, quite a strange thing happened as we were driving back along Catharine Street at just before 6pm. I was listening to Radio Five Live and started to notice the faint sound of ghostly choral voices in the background. I turned the radio off and the choir was silent but when I switched the radio back on, I could hear it again. I figured it was interference from another station and didn’t think too much about it. But the laser beam emanating from the Anglican cathedral at the time aroused my curiosity and, as it turns out, it appears that at the music was reaching my car via an invisible beam. And no, I’m not going insane.

The explanation is a project by sound artist Peter Appleton that aims to connect the Anglican and Metropolitan cathedrals by way of musical resonance. It was happening between 5pm and 6pm yesterday, just as I was driving past.