One O’clock Gun inspires ‘siren’s call’

an artistic answer to Edinburgh’s One O’Clock Gun is to see short recordings of Turner Prize winner Susan Philipsz’ singing voice relayed from large speakers between Calton Hill and the Castle.

The “siren’s call” will have an “aural domino effect”, according to its creator, as it is broadcast daily at 1pm in sequence from speakers at the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill, Old Calton Cemetery, North Bridge, Waverley Bridge, the National Gallery at The Mound and a tree in West Princes Street Gardens.

Trial runs for the project are taking place this week before running every day from August 2 to September 2 as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival.

Ms Philipsz, who became the first sound artist to win the Turner Prize in 2010, said: “I hope people will get a sense of the scale of the city.

“The installation is designed to make people think about the connection between Calton Hill and the Castle and all the spaces in between.”

The project was partly inspired by an 1879 Time Gun Map showing how sound waves from the gun travel the city, and an electrical cable between the master clock at Nelson Monument and the Castle ensure the gun’s timing was accurate.