Nottingham Contemporary

Artist Emma Smith presents an orchestral score based on whistles, hums and songs from the history of music at work in Nottingham.

The Whistling Orchestra is an orchestral score and performance for human whistlers based on the history of music at work. Looking specifically at the history of work songs, whistles and hums from the city of Nottingham from pre-industrialisation to the present day, the score traces a history of labour, agency and expression.

Nottingham has a fascinating history of communal whistling as a democratic form of music making adopted by Nottingham miners. Historically whistling has been used as an expression of agency, tool of resistance and mode of self-expression as a vocalisation of labour and memory.

Developed through historic research as well as public contribution the project invited local residents to share experiences, practices and memories of music making at work. The resultant score is performed by an orchestra of local whistlers, Nottingham People’s Choir and Mellers Primary School, and headlined by Nottinghamshire’s world champion whistler Sheila Harrod.