As a curious field recordist, one of my favourite things to do is to capture the sounds of the environment as I move through it. So when I had the opportunity to take a train ride then a walk from the Notting Hill Gate train station to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, I knew I had to record the experience. Little did I know that this would turn out to be a particularly poignant day for the United Kingdom – as later on, news would break of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.
The Victoria and Albert Museum is a truly remarkable place, housing the largest collection of applied arts and design in the world. But on this day, as I walked through the streets of London, the sounds of the city seemed muted, as if paying tribute to impending sad news. It was raining, and the sound of raindrops hitting the pavement added a layer of melancholy to the atmosphere.
As I walked, I recorded everything I could hear – the distant rumble of traffic, the hum of people talking as they passed me by, the sound of footsteps splashing through puddles. The sounds of the city were interspersed with occasional moments of calm, where the rain seemed to pause for a moment.
The train ride and walk from Notting Hill Gate to the Victoria and Albert Museum is not a particularly long one, but it felt like a journey through a city that was holding its breath. Even the sounds of the museum – the chatter of visitors, the echoes of footsteps on marble floors – seemed to be hushed, as if acknowledging the significance of the day.
Listening back to the recording of my walk, I’m struck by how it captures the mood of the city on that particular day. The sounds of London are usually vibrant and energetic, but on this occasion, they took on a different tone. The sound of rain added a layer of introspection and reflection to the soundscape.
It’s always fascinating to capture the sounds of a place at a specific moment in time. This recording will always be a reminder of the day that Her Majesty the Queen passed away, and how the city of London responded. But it’s also a reminder of the beauty of sound, and how even on a rainy and sad day for so many, the sounds of the world around us can be a source of inspiration and wonder.
Enjoy the walk.
Legio Sounds 