900 VOICES
Press Release

PRESS RELEASE - MAY 20, 2024

900 Voices: An ambitious participative sound art project for the 900th Anniversary Celebrations of St Giles’ Cathedral. See 900voices.org

Edinburgh, UK — [May 20.24] — 900 Voices is a participatory sound art project by Zoë Irvine with Lindsay Perth and Jules Rawlinson. It has been commissioned as part of Edinburgh’s St Giles’ momentous 900th Anniversary celebrations. The project invites people from all over Edinburgh to get involved in this ambitious sound art project. Motivated by inclusivity, 900 Voices is not a religious project and seeks contributions from people across the city with any and all views.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Community Events: A series of events will be held from May and June, providing numerous opportunities for people to get involved and take part. Details will be regularly updated on our social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram.

• Edinburgh International Festival: the 900 Voices sound installation in St Giles’ Cathedral is proud to be included in the Edinburgh International Festival, celebrating the city’s longstanding tradition of arts and culture and bringing the diverse voices of Edinburgh to festival audiences.

• Free every Wednesday afternoon Sep - Nov: Having launched in the Festival the installation will continue to evolve and welcome visitors later in the year.

• 900 Voices Creative Team of Edinburgh Artists: Leading the project are Edinburgh-based artists Zoë Irvine (Creative Director of 900 Voices) who specialises in working with sound, voice and participative practice; Lindsay Perth who is a public artist with expertise and experience in socially engaged art practice and Jules Rawlinson who is an audio-visual composer, improviser, designer and researcher. 

• St Giles’ Collaborative leads - Sarah Phemister, Head of Heritage & Culture at St Giles’ Cathedral; John Andrew - Chief Steward, St Giles’ Cathedral; Mary Miller Cultural Consultant to St Giles’ 900 Committee. 

• Book Festival Appearance: 900 Voices will also make an appearance at the Edinburgh Book Festival, where Zoë, Lindsay, and Jules will discuss their experiences of gathering and composing the community's conversations, exploring themes of belonging and the essence of civic engagement.

ABOUT ST GILES’ CATHEDRAL:

St Giles’ Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh has been a focal point of religious and community life for nine centuries. A backdrop to Scotland’s turbulent religious history, it has seen the seeds of civil war sown and acted as John Knox’s parish church during the Reformation. St Giles’ Cathedral is open to all, to worship, to visit and to experience music, art, and history within its walls.

For further information, interviews, or media inquiries, please contact:

Zoë Irvine [Director, 900 Voices] zoe@900voices.org
Sarah Phemister [On behalf of St. Giles’] sarah.phemister@stgilescathedral.org.uk

Email: hello@900voices.org
Website: https://www.900voices.org

End of Release