The Hill - July 5, 2000

The Hill - Wednesday, July 5th

Yet more construction sounds. This time it's the equipment removing the Canada Day stage.

The footguards will be here in half an hour - tourists are already gathering - I wonder if the construction stops while the footguards play and march, or if they keep right on working through it all.

(Note to those who are not familiar with Parliament Hill rituals - every morning at 10 am, the Ceremonial Guard marches down the streets of downtown to the Parliament Buildings for the changing of the guard (same idea as the British Changing of the Guard - shift change, basically, with a whole bunch of ceremony, military bands, bagpipes and soldiers in British-style uniform). One of the remnants of our colonial past that really has no function other than it attracts a lot of tourists to Parliament Hill. But it's colourful and fun, and is interesting in the way that museums are interesting.

Sounds I hear:

medium sized forklift
the centennial flame (or more accurately, the water which burbles around the flame. Like a fountain. It's in front of the Parliament Buildings, but close to the street, so you also hear the lively sounds of the city traffic. The wall around the flame is the only place in front of the Parliament Buildings where you can sit - the edges are wide, so it always attracts a crowd as people taking a break and regrouping.) The water burbles very softly, providing a soft contrast in tone to the sounds of the traffic.
Peace Tower chiming 9:30
multiple tourist voices
steady rumble of traffic

10:00 - The Changing of the Guard Ceremony has begun.

Some notes about the changing of the guard ceremony:

as the Guards approach the Hill, the drum can be heard long before anything else. Nice natural fade-in upon approach
the construction on the Hill stopped when the ceremony began and started up again mere seconds after it was over
people maintained lively discussions with each other throughout. Most, but not all, stopped talking when the national anthem was played.
the band didn't play "God Save the Queen", which struck me as odd given that these are the Governor General's footguards (note to people not familiar with these Canadian customs - the Governor General is Canada's head of state, representing the Queen in Canada. It's a ceremonial position - her most important function is the opening and dissolving of Parliament. Elections are called by the Prime Minister, but the Governor General's assent is necessary before an election can happen. But the Governor General never says no. This is a gross over-simplification, but this is not the space to discuss the idiosyncracies of the Canadian political system)
the sounds of cameras clicking and winding were everywhere. Most cameras had electronic winds - there were few sounds of the old-fashioned kind.
traffic sounds are very loud - from on and off the hill. One of the things I like about Parliament Hill is that anybody can drive onto the grounds. There is talk of banning cars, which will change the soundscape. Personally, I hope they don't. It's a symbol that our Hill is still accessible to ordinary people.
buses, buses, buses - tour buses and city buses roar. The sharp release of air brakes rise above the deep bass of the engine.

I wanted to begin my piece at 10 am with the Peace Tower chiming 10:00. The Peace tower chimes sounding the hour is going to be a recurring motif throughout the work. I have to begin at 9:00 because the 10:00 chimes can't be heard clearly over the band.

10:45 - The changing of the guard is now over - I am sitting in one of my favourite spots - the summer pavilion behind the Centre Block, high on the bluff overlooking the Ottawa River. I think I will do a recording of this place for the conclusion of the Parliament Hill piece and record the sounds of the hill as the sun goes down.

As I write, a group of actors are recreating some of the great works of past politicians. In both official languages.

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