Tyres on road, from the paved block surface, rippling ascending descending like waves, different harmonics. Far off emergency siren. As rush hour lessens wattle birds, magpies, faint bird noises. when car noise falls away birds sing more loudly and a symphony of sound emerges from the birds answering each other across the sea of human generated machine noise.
Long flat note of wattle bird then higher note across the traffic. Distant low hum from Lodge building air conditioning, ascending motor noise, white machine noise from every angle of awareness. Rattle of scooter against the deep roar of a passing bus.
Sight, livid green of hi viz jacket of mailman, cars in the car park of different colours bisected by groups of lorikeets, rainbow and musk entering into the car park garden space which is without standing walking human beings. They fly between buildings, flashes of living colour.
After a while I begin to feel more worn from the machine noise and the rippling of tyres against a road surface that generates more resistance, therefore more sound.
The more I centre myself the faster the sounds and sights of cars seems to advance and retreat.
I notice the wind on my skin which is cool and a gentle breeze comes and goes stirring gently the trees growing on the lawn. I move close and attune myself so that against traffic I can hear a gentle rustling of leaves. I notice the fine variation of leaves and hear a variety of tones from breeze moved leaves. Being silent I notice the vividness of daisies and the rich brown patina of fallen autumn leaves. The grass and the native bushes have a variety of shapes, textures and colours, creating an amazing and entrancing pattern across the ground.
I move around feeling leaves, touching rose bushes and lavender noting different textures and as I pay attention noticing the array of colours in grass and flowers. I feel a variety of textures underfoot from soft mown watered lawn to hardness of concrete. I notice how my feet and body respond. As I move, stop and listen I note how the different trees sound different as the wind comes and goes. A barking dog brings new sounds into awareness.
Walking around the church building I notice how the soundscape changes. The brief crack of an opening security door as the electric lock releases, the movement of human beings. There is the sound of human conversation but this too is muted below the white noise of cars.
I notice my own silence, the feel of my body, how I notice more vividly when I know my smart phone is turned off and how I attune myself to listen for incoming emails and messages. I feel my clothes move against my body and how head and hands chill while the rest of my body is warm. I feel my heart beating and the movement of air into my body and then released again. Time changes in is experience becoming more flowing, sometimes seeming to pass more quickly. I notice my own feeling of wanting time to flow past or slow down as I engage with my senses and how interest and boredom alternate in this project. I notice the reflection in the slow movement of the creek and the multi textured colours seen in the water.
Dear God my feeling at the end of this hour is multi textured. I'm interested and engaged in the variety in the soundscape and what I see and feel. I note how I lean into the birdsong and the wind, the faint sounds of water in the creek. I'm wearied by the continued low frequency noise of traffic which is continual and I'm conscious that at some stage I will add to that intrusive noise as I move to my appointment. I notice how I react to sounds in desire and aversion and to what meaning I give to the emergency vehicle sirens. I notice how I want to impose my own will and sense of control on the experience. I move back inside the Church building feeling warm air and noticing how external noise is muted. Soon I climb into my car conscious that I will add to the soundscape with mechanical sound.
Nicholas Rundle – Minister of Christ Church UCA Wayville, priest of the Willochra Anglican Diocese
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