Jacob Cartwright & Nick Jordan
Larksong | 19.45mins | 2023

Larksong is an exploratory documentary centred on an historic nonconformist chapel located at the edge of the Pennine moors in Northern England. With the chapel as a central leitmotif, the film captures the surrounding ecology and distinctive landscape of cloughs, rivers and woodlands, laced with the remnants and imprints of the textile workers, mills and industries that shaped the environment.

The film’s narrative is framed by a poem, written from the perspective of a chapel pew. Connecting to an emotional, tactile sense of memory, rather than the language of history, the poem weaves together social, industrial and ecological themes; ruminating upon the changing landscape, social mores and working practices that have been witnessed since the founding of the chapel in 1760.

Larksong’s musical score has been created with traditional folk instruments, such as harmonium and recorder, layered together with sonic textures and percussive sounds derived from spinning wheels, hand looms and drop spindles. The score also features songs composed with lyrics from gravestone inscriptions found in the chapel’s burial grounds.

Larksong, stills

See here for Larksong installation images and related works

Limited edition publication available, designed by the artists and featuring Emily Oldfield’s poem.
Order here

Soundtrack available on vinyl from Folklore Tapes

A film by Nick Jordan & Jacob Cartwright
Soundtrack & chapel projections: David Chatton Barker, Mary Stark, Sam McLoughlin, Bridget Hayden
Poetry: Emily Oldfield
Editor: Nick Jordan
Local historian: Stephen Oldfield
Larks of Dean collection: The Whitaker Museum

Commissioned by the British Textile Biennial and English Heritage

Larksong / exceprt #1

Larksong / exceprt #2

Larksong / exceprt #3

Larksong teaser: David Chatton Barker & Sam McLoughlin sonically hand-carding wool