The bell of Reval

"The otherworldly voices and the haunting church bells drew me in…. I wished to be there, standing in the square on a cold Baltic night like a scene in a movie. Relying only on my imagination, as I have never visited the Baltic region, I was fascinated by these slightly atonal Estonian bells. How many times have they rung out across this square? How many folks have lived amongst them over the centuries? They clearly called out to me as they have done to many folks throughout the centuries. 

"They became the initial inspiration for the piece. I matched the tone of the bells with a response on an old and very out-of-tune Persian Santoor. The recording seemed out of time and place and multitheistic, so i then added an organ drone to it. It felt like the history of the city came to life. 

"As I also have ancestors who came from the region I am naturally quite curious about its culture and history. I hope that the sound of these bells and the resulting composition accessed some of the energy of the region and that it can in turn inspire others to explore Tallinn, Estonia and the Baltic region at large."

Raekoja Square, Tallinn reimagined by Penelope Trappes

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This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights.

Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage