📚 Artificial Things — 6a.8
Aural Setting
Composed by Andy Higgs · Listen first · Section by section · Multiple ways of hearing
📚 What you'll learn on this page
- Describe the aural setting accurately for each of the four key sections of Scene Three
- Link each sound choice to the stimulus, intent and mood of the work
- Explore multiple valid interpretations of what the sounds could mean — and form your own
What is 'Aural Setting'?
Aural setting = everything the audience hears. This includes pre-recorded music, soundscapes, sound effects and any live sound elements — including Dave Toole's live singing in the final section. Andy Higgs created a futuristic soundscape that acknowledges time has passed and the old ways have broken down. He used the whole piano — inside and out — plus found sounds and fragments of a song.
6a.8.1 Description — Listen First
Clip 1 — Watch & Listen: The opening duet (Dave & Laura)
🎯 Listening tasks — focus specifically on the sound
- What is the very first sound you hear? Describe its quality — is it soft, sharp, distant, close?
- Can you hear the crunching sounds? When do they appear and what might they suggest?
- Listen for the distant violin. Is it a recognisable melody, or just a fragment? What feeling does it create?
- As the wheelchair is assembled, does the music change? How does it respond to the movement?
Clip 2 — Watch & Listen: Dave's Solo
🎯 Listening tasks — focus specifically on the sound
- This is a live vocal performance. How does hearing a real human voice change the atmosphere compared to the recorded soundscape before it?
- Listen to how the voice builds. At what point does it feel most powerful? What happens to the dynamics?
- When Dave stops singing and the group joins in — what does that moment feel like? How does it change the sound?
- Close your eyes for a few seconds while listening. What images or feelings does the singing create?
Aural Setting Composer: Andy Higgs
Andy Higgs wanted to create a futuristic atmosphere acknowledging that time had passed and the old ways had broken down. He used the whole piano inside and out, sound effects (wind, distant rumble, footsteps in snow), and elements of 'The Sunshine of Your Smile' — often distorted and drifting — culminating in the full version for Dave's Solo.
Sound elements used
🌬️ Wind soundscape
❄️ Footsteps in snow / crunching
🎹 Piano (inside & out)
🎵 Glockenspiel + chimes
🕐 Clock ticking
🎤 Live tenor vocal (Dave)
The diagrams below show a visual representation of each section's soundscape — the texture, layers and qualities of sound at each point in Scene Three.
Section 1 · Dave & Laura's Duet
Wind · Crunching snow · Distant violin
A swirling, blustery wind echoes into the distance. Muffled crunching noises suggest footsteps in snow. A distant violin floats in the wind — actually a fragment of Dave's solo song, foreshadowing the ending.
Section 2 · The Gliding Trio
Piano glissando · Metallic strings · Musical box
Piano keys are swiped to create a glissando. Strings inside the piano are strummed — a metallic whooshing sound — developing into a delicate tinkling melody, later with a musical box quality.
Section 3 · Family Portraits
Clock ticking · Chimes · Silence · Distorted fragments
A clock ticking marks time passing. Chimes provide delicate punctuation. Moments of silence carry as much weight as the sound itself. Distorted fragments of 'The Sunshine of Your Smile' drift in and out.
Section 4 · Dave's Solo
Live tenor vocal · Builds to climax · Group joins
Dave sings 'The Sunshine of Your Smile' — a live tenor performance that builds from personal and quiet to a powerful high-note climax. When Dave forgets the words, the group joins in. The full, complete version of the song is the resolution.
Examiner's Eye — the aural journey
The aural setting travels the same arc as the choreography: blustery isolation → cold glassy beauty → clock and chimes (time) → raw human voice. The key word is journey. Always mention how the aural setting changes and what this mirrors. The detail that the violin in Section 1 is actually a fragment of Dave's song is a high-value point — it means the resolution is present from the very start, just hidden.
6a.8.2 Appreciation — Section by Section
For each section, the Describe and Link points are provided. For Interpret and Evaluate, there are multiple valid readings — tap each to explore it, then write your own. Go back and re-listen to the clips above before completing the write-your-own sections.
6-mark question
Needs D + L only — facts, no opinion required.
12-mark question
Needs D + L + I + E to reach the top mark bands.
1
Dave & Laura's Duet — Wind · Crunching · Distant violin
Blustery soundscape · Footsteps in snow · Foreshadowing fragment
▾
D
Describe
A soundscape of swirling, blustery wind echoes into the distance. Muffled crunching noises are heard underneath — suggesting footsteps in snow. A distant violin floats in the wind. The overall texture is cold, sparse, and wide.
L
Link
The wind and crunching snow directly immerse the audience in Stimulus 1 — the isolated figure in a snow-covered landscape. The crunching footsteps complement the paper snow on stage, creating unity between the aural and the physical staging. The distant violin is actually a fragment of 'The Sunshine of Your Smile' — foreshadowing Dave's tribute and suggesting that resolution already exists in the piece from the very beginning.
💜 Interpret — tap each reading:
Option AThe wind encloses the audience in the snow globe before anyone has moved›
The swirling soundscape could suggest the audience is already inside the snow globe from the very first sound — they are enclosed, surrounded, part of this world before the dancing begins. In my opinion, this is one of the most effective opening gestures in contemporary dance.
Option BThe crunching snow — we arrive mid-journey›
The muffled crunching could suggest these characters have been walking through this cold world for some time — we arrive mid-journey, not at the beginning. This could suggest that life's limitations have always been present; we are not witnessing their start.
Option CThe distant violin — resolution already hidden in the work›
The distant violin — a fragment of Dave's song — could suggest that resolution already exists within the piece from the very beginning; we just cannot hear it clearly yet. This is a deeply sophisticated structural device: the end is hidden in the beginning.
⭐ Evaluate:
Impact ATransported physically — the audience can feel the cold›
This is effective because the opening soundscape immediately transports the audience into a cold, desolate place — they feel the isolation physically before a single dancer has appeared. This instant immersion is highly effective in establishing the intent and mood of the entire piece.
Impact BDisorientating — found sounds unsettle expectation›
This is effective because the use of found sounds (wind, crunching) rather than conventional music creates an unsettling, disorienting atmosphere — the audience doesn't know what kind of performance they are about to see. This supports the theme of life's limitations, which are also disorienting and unpredictable.
2
The Gliding Trio — Piano glissando · Metallic strings · Musical box
Glissando sweep · Whooshing metallic strings · Tinkling melody
▾
D
Describe
Piano keys are swiped to create a glissando effect. The strings inside the piano are strummed, creating a metallic whooshing sound. This develops into a delicate tinkling melody, later with a musical box quality.
L
Link
The piano glissando creates a cascading effect — like shaking a snow globe and watching the snow swirl, settle, then swirl again — directly linking to Stimulus 1. The silvery, glassy quality of the piano perfectly matches the cold blue lighting in this section, creating unity between the aural and the visual. The musical box sound links to the intent: something precious and fragile, enclosed and mechanical.
💜 Interpret:
Option AThe glissando — snow flurries or ice underfoot›
The rapid cascade of the glissando could suggest snow flurries — or the feeling of ice underfoot, matching the smooth, gliding quality of Laura's wheelchair movement. In my opinion, it is the single most visually-connected sound in the whole work: you can hear the movement.
Option BPlucked strings — otherworldly, artificial›
The metallic, whooshing sound of strings plucked inside the piano is like nothing heard in a conventional concert hall. This could suggest we have entered an artificial world — one where the normal rules do not apply. This connects to the title: Artificial Things.
Option CMusical box — childhood memory or something that could shatter›
The musical box sound could suggest childhood memories — or something precious and fragile, like a snow globe that could shatter at any moment. This reading connects the physical beauty of the Gliding Trio to the emotional fragility of the characters' situations.
⭐ Evaluate:
Impact AGlassy piano + cold blue lighting — layered icy world›
This is effective because the silvery, glassy quality of the piano perfectly matches the cold blue lighting — the two production elements reinforce each other, creating a layered, immersive icy world. The audience both hears and sees the cold simultaneously, making the effect much more powerful.
Impact BSomething familiar made strange — mirrors the theme›
This is effective because using the piano in such an unconventional way (playing the strings from inside) takes something familiar and makes it strange. The audience hears a piano, but not as they know it — this mirrors the theme of disability in dance: something familiar (a body, a wheelchair) transformed into something extraordinary.
3
Family Portraits — Clock · Chimes · Silence · Fragments
Time passing · Punctuation of chimes · Distorted song fragments drifting
▾
D
Describe
A clock ticks in the soundscape. Chimes provide delicate, spaced punctuation. Moments of silence carry weight between sounds. Distorted, fragmented versions of 'The Sunshine of Your Smile' drift in and out — recognisable but incomplete, as if heard through walls or across time.
L
Link
The clock ticking directly links to the choreographic intent — personal journeys and the passing of time. The chimes connect to a wintry, cold quality that reinforces the snow globe atmosphere of Stimulus 1. The distorted fragments of the song connect to Stimulus 3 (Dave's father) — building expectation for the full version in the next section. The moments of silence link to the intent of the characters being frozen, constricted.
💜 Interpret:
Option AThe clock — time moves on even within frozen grief›
The clock ticking could suggest that time continues to pass relentlessly — even within the frozen snow globe world, even within grief. The characters are still, but time is not. In my opinion, this is one of the most painfully truthful things the soundscape communicates: limitations don't stop time, they just make it more visible.
Option BDistorted fragments — a fading memory trying to surface›
The distorted fragments of the song could suggest a fading memory trying to surface — Dave can almost remember the song, but not quite. It slips in and out. This is grief: the inability to hold a memory clearly, the way it distorts with time. This reading makes the moment the full song finally arrives in Section 4 deeply cathartic.
Option CThe silence — the weight of what cannot be said›
The moments of silence could carry more meaning than any sound — they represent what cannot be said, the gaps that grief creates. In my opinion, silence in this context is not emptiness but presence: the presence of loss, the feeling that something or someone is missing from the space.
⭐ Evaluate:
Impact AChimes + tableaux reinforce each other›
This is effective because the chimes create moments of stillness that perfectly match the formal, frozen quality of the tableaux — the sound and the movement reinforce each other, creating a unified and concentrated atmosphere. The audience hears and sees freezing simultaneously.
Impact BFragments prepare the audience — the full song is coming›
This is effective because the distorted fragments of the song create a sense of incompleteness that prepares the audience for Section 4 — they have already been half-hearing the song, so when it finally arrives in full, it feels like arrival and resolution. The preparation makes the climax more powerful.
4
Dave's Solo — Live tenor · Builds · Climax · Group joins
Full live singing · Builds to high note · Group lip sync resolves
▾
🎤 Re-watch Clip 2 before completing this section
D
Describe
Dave Toole performs a live tenor vocal — 'The Sunshine of Your Smile' — in full, for the first time in the piece. The performance is deeply personal and builds from quiet and intimate to a powerful, emotionally charged high note. When Dave stops, the group joins in for the final phrase — a live, shared resolution.
L
Link
The song connects directly to Stimulus 3 — Dave's father was a club singer in Leeds who used to sing this song. The live, full version links to the choreographic intent: resolution found through coming together. The shift from recorded soundscape to live voice marks the most significant aural transition in the piece — from the artificial world of the snow globe to a real, human, present moment.
💜 Interpret:
Option AThe full song — Dave finally accepts his memory of his father›
The full, unbroken version of the song — heard after fragments have drifted in and out throughout the piece — could suggest Dave finally accepting his memory of his father. Where before it was distorted and incomplete, now it is whole. In my opinion, this is the most emotionally precise use of music in contemporary British dance.
Option BLive voice vs recorded — real versus artificial›
The shift from pre-recorded soundscape to live voice could suggest that true resolution cannot be artificially constructed — it must be performed live, in the moment, by a real human being. This connects directly to the title Artificial Things: after all the artificiality of the snow globe, a genuine human voice breaks through.
Option CThe group joining in — memory is shared, not private›
When the group joins in, it could suggest that memory does not live in one person alone — it is carried by a community. Dave forgets the words; others remember for him. This is the most inclusive moment of the aural setting: everyone holds a piece of the song, just as everyone holds a piece of another person's grief.
⭐ Evaluate:
Impact ALive voice — transforms the atmosphere, audience visibly moved›
This is effective because the raw, live vocal creates a direct emotional connection with the audience — they hear a human voice, not a recording. This transforms the atmosphere from cold isolation to warm human connection. The audience often find themselves visibly moved — something that is rare and powerful in a dance performance context.
Impact BThe most satisfying structural resolution — we've been waiting for it›
This is effective because the journey from distorted fragments to the complete version of the song is the most satisfying structural resolution in the entire piece. The audience has been waiting for it since the violin first drifted in at the very opening — the resolution is as much about the sound as it is about the movement.
6a.8.3 💜 How Does the Aural Setting Affect Your Emotional Response?
💜 Your Personal Response
Sound has a unique ability to bypass the intellect and reach directly into emotion. These prompts ask you to reflect honestly on what you hear — and feel.
Prompt 1 — The opening soundscape
Before you had any knowledge of Artificial Things, if you heard just the opening wind soundscape — what would you feel or imagine? Has learning about the intent and stimulus changed how you hear it?
Prompt 2 — The piano in the Gliding Trio
The piano is played in an unconventional way — inside and out. Does this sound feel beautiful, unsettling, strange, or something else? What is your honest emotional response to this section of the music?
Prompt 3 — Dave's live singing
Having watched and listened to the solo: what is your actual emotional response to Dave's voice? Does it matter to you that it is live and not recorded? Does knowing it is a tribute to his father change how you hear it?
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6a.8.4 💜 Does the Aural Setting Shift Your Interpretation?
💜 Does the Sound Change What You See?
Sometimes knowing something about the music changes how you experience the movement. These prompts explore that.
Prompt 1 — The hidden melody
Knowing that the distant violin in Section 1 is actually a fragment of Dave's song — does this change how you watch the opening duet? Does it make the work feel more designed, more intentional, or more moving?
Prompt 2 — Live versus recorded
For most of Scene Three, the sound is pre-recorded. When Dave's voice enters live, it is a fundamentally different kind of sound. Does the transition from recorded to live change how you experience the moment? Could the solo work if it were recorded instead of live?
Prompt 3 — The title and the music
The work is called Artificial Things. The soundscape is constructed, composed, artificial. But Dave's singing is live, raw and human. In your opinion, does the contrast between the artificial soundscape and the live voice make the resolution feel more or less real? What does this say about what is artificial and what is genuine?
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📌 Revisit This — Key Points from This Page
DesignerAndy Higgs. Used whole piano (inside + out), found sounds, clock, chimes, and fragments of 'The Sunshine of Your Smile'.
Section 1Swirling wind · Crunching snow · Distant violin (fragment of Dave's song — foreshadowing resolution)
Section 2Piano glissando (keys swiped) · Metallic strings (inside piano) · Tinkling melody · Musical box
Section 3Clock ticking · Chimes · Moments of silence · Distorted fragments of the song drifting in
Section 4Live tenor vocal — 'The Sunshine of Your Smile' in full · Builds to climax · Group joins in
Key structural detailThe violin in S1 IS the song from S4 — resolution is hidden in the very opening. This is the most examinable structural aural detail.
6a.8.5 Revision Check
✍️ Revision Check
9 questions covering all four sections and the DLIE framework. Answer all nine, then submit.
1. Who composed the aural setting for Artificial Things?
2. What sounds make up the opening aural setting for Scene Three?
3. What is significant about the distant violin heard in the opening soundscape?
4. How was the piano used unusually in the Gliding Trio section?
5. How does the piano glissando link to Stimulus 1 (the snow globe)?
6. What sounds are heard during the Family Portraits section?
7. What makes the aural setting for Dave's Solo different from all other sections?
8. What could the distorted fragments of the song heard during Family Portraits suggest?
9. Which of these is the strongest Evaluate point about the aural setting?
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