SELECTED WORKS
IMMERSIVE // INSTALLATION // SPACIAL
HOME
An immersive sound and film installation by Rory Friers
HOME INSTALLATION
by Rory Friers (2023)
A sound and video installation by composer Rory Friers Over a six month period in 2022 Rory spent time with the residents of Glendun care home in Cushendun. During these visits he collected hours of audio recordings, conversations and interactions with the people who’s lives share the space; the residents, the staff, the visitors. It was these recordings that formed a scrapbook of sounds on which Rory composed a score for string quartet, piano and guitar. An attempt to collaborate with new friendships made, their past and their future, their stories and their songs. Joining Rory on several visits friend and collaborator, director Ross McClean. The footage collected from these visits comprise a film made to accompany the musical piece. Playing with scale and perspective this sound and video is projection mapped to a scale model of the care home itself, built especially for the piece by artist Julian Friers which comes alive as it floats in situ.
Duration: 9 mins 50 seconds
Installation: HD film and 3D model
Sound: Dual Stereo
Dimensions: 130cm x 115cm x 31.5cm
Materials: Architectural foam board
CREDITS
Created and Directed by Rory Friers
All songs performed by residents of Glendun Nursing Home
"The Green Glens of Antrim" - Sung by Trea O Boyle
"I Dream of Ballycastle" - Sung by Joe Mc Cambridge
“Thoughts of Home” - Written & Read by Eileen Winter
Images Recorded on 25th August 2022
Sound recording captured between 4th April - 25th August 2022 by Rory Friers
Model footage Filmed and Edited by Ross McClean
Music composed and orchestrated by Rory Friers
Strings performed by Arco String Quartet
Strings recorded at Queens Parade Methodist Church by Michael Keeney
Model built by Julian Friers and Jill Friers
Archive Content supported by NI Screen Digital Film Archive
Produced by Dumb World and Our Place in Space
CIRCLE
HEXAPHONIC 8HR AUDIO VISUAL INSTALLATION
As the sun sets on the longest day, a circle forms in the heart of the city.
Rooted in ancient Irish solstice traditions and the quiet symbolism of stone circles, this sound piece invites people to gather, be still, and mark the turning of the season together.
From 5pm on June 20th, a five-hour ambient composition will gradually unfold within a circular space in Belfast city centre. The noise of the city — footsteps, traffic, wind, birds overhead — is welcomed in, becoming part of the composition. The city becomes an instrument, shaping the piece in real time.
A space to step inside. A place to sit, listen, drift, and return to yourself. As the evening deepens, the sound builds gradually toward a shared crescendo as the sun begins to set.
At the end, as the light fades and sound swells, we invite people to come closer. To gather in the circle. To mark this moment together — ancient and modern, quiet and alive.
Created by Belfast-based composer Rory Friers, the piece continues his exploration of immersive sound as ritual and environment. Known for his film work, spacial sound installations, and as guitarist in acclaimed experimental rock band And So I Watch You From Afar, Friers blends deep tradition with cutting-edge production to create music that holds space — and invites presence.
ALL TOGETHER; ALL ALONE
An NI Science Festival commission work by Rory Friers
A poignant, heartfelt exploration into coping and absence. A large scale multimedia installation and audio piece commissioned by the NI Science Festival.
A scrap book of intimate recordings between a new mother and her young child born during lockdown is enveloped by a Rorys string composition.
The show was mixed for the immersive surround sound audio system the W5 Science Museum in Belfast where you are placed in complete emersion by the sounds and sites of a very unique time in our recent history.
ALL AROUND US // LIVE DOLBY ATMOS SHOW
A one-off, intimate concert exploring the outer limits of immersive sound…
'Following on from the success of 2022 audio-visual installation, All Together; All Alone, at Belfast’s W5, Rory continues to explore his poignant sound journey with All Around Us.
Joined by renowned Belfast musicians, Arco String Quartet and celebrated Donegal pianist, producer and composer, Michael Keeney, this special live performance will take you on a journey through a soundscape rooted in re-emergence. The first of its kind in Ireland, Rorys moving and unique compositions are a chance for for total escapism.
Shaking off the poignancy of absence, this is an ambitious adventure into the outer limits of immersive audio and Dolby Atmos Surround which brings us back into the vibrancy of life beyond lockdown. A unique collaboration with the incredible engineers at QUB’s Sonic Arts Research Centre, this is an experience to be savoured...'
jettison // Long form ensemble work for 8 musicians
Queen Elizabeth Hall / Southbank Centre 2023
Jettison is a long-form audiovisual work combining expanded rock ensemble, string quartet and large-scale visual projection. Developed with And So I Watch You From Afar and visual artist Sam Wiehl, it unfolds as a continuous journey through cinematic composition and immersive moving image. The visuals, built in Unreal Engine, create a surreal, evolving environment that extends the music beyond the stage. Premiered at a sold-out Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre.