Listening to the Tweed at Kelso

The Water Organ is a floating sound installation and kinetic sculpture created by artist Mark Zygadlo.

Part catamaran, part church organ, the WaterOrgan generates live music by reading the flux and flow of the water, translating the state of the river into playful sound.

Mark said: “As a platform for art, the river has huge potential.

"Building this was a serious issue, but when you put it in the water, it's such a light-hearted, jolly, almost frivolous sound, which is really in contrast to what I’d been expecting.”

Connecting Threads, an organisation dedicated to devising a 5-year cultural programme for the Tweed, is bringing the Water Organ to the Tweed at Kelso, on the Cobby, on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30.

Alongside the Water Organ itself, there will be a lively programme of free activities taking place over the weekend, including a ‘make a mini WaterOrgan’ craft table from noon-4pm on the Saturday, and between 2-4pm, a quartet of musicians – Elena Inei on violin, Jer Reid on guitar, Atzi Muramatsu on cello (members of the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra) and Ross Fleming, a classically trained accordion player with a diverse and extensive biography – will improvise and rehearse a live response to the Water Organ, interacting with live sounds, previous recordings and visuals of the data streams generated by the Water Organ and prepared by sound engineer Jamie Grier.

From 6-7:45pm they will present a recital of this unique work live on the riverbank. It's ree to attend (standing with limited seating available, but you’re welcome to bring your own chair.

On the Sunday the Water Organ will be in situ again on the Cobby from 11am, alongside water organism identification sessions led by the Tweed Foundation – which will inspire flag-making workshops with artist Emma Whigham between noon-4pm.

The Water Organ in Kelso is part of a tour of the Tweed, having already visited Peebles and will be going on to Norham on August 12 and Paxton House on August 13.

Visit our website to see and hear the Water Organ at work, and hear Mark talk about the project.