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Singing Ringing Tree

The Singing Ringing Tree is a wind-powered sound sculpture set in the Pennine hills overlooking Burnley, Lancashire, England. Completed in 2006, it is one of four sculptures in the Panopticons arts and regeneration project created by the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network. Designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu, the tall structure is made of galvanised steel pipes arranged to resemble a windswept tree. Some pipes are structural and visual elements, while others are cut to produce sound, creating a slightly discordant choral effect across several octaves. In 2007, it received a National Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects for architectural excellence.

The Singing Ringing Tree sculpture made of grey metal pipes against a blue sky.
The Singing Ringing Tree rises like a tree from stacked grey metal pipes under a partly cloudy sky.
September 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Singing Ringing Tree sculpture on a grassy hill above a wide green valley.
The Singing Ringing Tree rises above the Burnley landscape on a hilltop overlooking the valley.
November 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Singing Ringing Tree sculpture made of stacked metal pipes stands on a grassy hill with rolling countryside and wind turbines in the distance.
The Singing Ringing Tree rises above the hillside, with countryside and wind turbines visible behind it.
September 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Singing Ringing Tree sculpture made of stacked silver metal pipes on a hillside with rolling landscape and distant wind turbines.
The Singing Ringing Tree rises above the Lancashire landscape, with distant wind turbines visible beyond the hills.
March 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Singing Ringing Tree sculpture made of dark metal pipes on a hilltop overlooking the town and fields below
The Singing Ringing Tree stands on a hill above Burnley, framed by a cloudy sky and distant landscape.
July 2021 © Stephen Gidley · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleSinging Ringing Tree
Typewind-powered sound sculpture
Translation of title"The singing, ringing little tree" (English meaning given after the fairy tale of the same name)

Historical context

Art movementEnvironmental art
ConceptArt in which the relationship between the artwork and its surroundings is the primary focus
ProjectPanopticons arts and regeneration project
Project organizerEast Lancashire Environmental Arts Network (ELEAN)
Project purposeTo create 21st-century landmarks across East Lancashire as symbols of the area's renaissance
Number in projectOne of four sculptures
Intended roleModern landmarks of the 21st century
Intended symbolismSymbols of the renaissance of the areas across East Lancashire where they stand
Description of PanopticonsSculptures designed to be visible from great distances and erected on geographic elevations

Creator

DesignersMike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu

Physical characteristics

FormResembles a windswept tree
Height3 metres
StructureA tall construction of galvanized steel tubes

Materials

Material in Abilene installationNearly 27 tons of pipes
MaterialGalvanized steel tubes

Technique

Tuning methodThe tubes were tuned according to their length by adding holes to the underside
Wind source in AbileneWind channeled through two nearby underpasses
Power sourceWind
Sound productionSome tubes are slit or cut across their width to produce sound
Construction methodBuilt from tubes that cut and channel the wind
Position optimizationOptimized to maximize wind blowing across the pipes

Appearance

Sound in AbileneMostly silent
Tube functionsSome tubes are structural and aesthetic only, while others are designed to produce sound
SoundSlightly dissonant, penetrating choral tones over several octaves
Visual analogyThe tubes resemble organ pipes

Location and ownership

CountryEngland
Original locationThe Pennine hill range overlooking Burnley, Lancashire, England
Placement in AbileneEast of the Frontier Texas! museum, in the grassy median where Treadaway Boulevard splits and flows into South 1st St.
Third sculpture locationSomewhere in Saudi Arabia
Second installation locationOutskirts of Austin, Texas, United States, in the rural area of Manor

History and restoration

Third sculpture involvementTonkin Liu also helped create a third sculpture
Reason for lack of consistent noiseUnknown
DonorAnonymous owner in the Austin, Texas area
Contractor for dismantling and reassemblyJK Welding
Installation arrangementArranged by the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council
Installation and moving costsCovered by the anonymous donor
Donation recipientCity of Abilene
Donation dateJuly 2022
Second installation dateMarch 2017
Award noteWon together with 13 other candidates
Award year2007
AwardNational Award of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for architectural excellence
Unveiled byThe mayor of Burnley, Mohammad Najib, together with the designers Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu
Completion date2006
Unveiling date14 December 2006

Other

Number of known sculpturesAt least three Singing Ringing Tree sculptures are referenced in the fragment