The Water of Tyne: Reimagined
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- Movement I
- Movement II
- Movement III
The Water of Tyne: Reimagined is a three-part audio installation by artist, composer and producer, BISHI. It reimagines the traditional Tyneside folk song, bringing together influences from across the world with sounds inspired by The Glasshouse itself. Blending industrial field recordings, Hindustani Ragas and choral singing, the piece draws connections between the building’s modern engineering and its position on the banks of the River Tyne, steeped in the history of what was there before.
Featuring the voices of Brian Eno, BISHI, Jennifer Reid, ILĀ, Ian Bruce and Genevieve Dawson, the composition unfolds in three movements.
“The water of Tyne runs between him and me;
And here I must stand with a tear in my eye,
Both sighing and longing, my sweetheart to see…”
Movement I
A pure, layered vocal performance.
Listening notes
“The first movement is about tying the traditions between the pentatonic evening Raag Durga and ‘The Water of Tyne,’ a traditional Tyneside folk song. I love the way that folk music is so open to interpretation – the lyrics can reflect both the personal and the political, and this is what makes folk music so timeless to me. I had the great privilege to work with some extraordinary vocalists – each of their voices was a unique instrument for me to weave into the composition, sometimes singing the harmonies I had written verbatim and other times improvising, as the piece encouraged.” BISHI
Movement II
A textured soundscape of industrial field recordings.
Listening notes
“This is the first time I’ve experimented with field recordings. I can see why people become addicted to creating melodic and rhythmic instruments out of field recordings. Using contact microphones and an array of mallets and musical hammers, I recorded sounds across the many different surfaces as I explored The Glasshouse. The building itself is full of architectural structures, poles, window panes, metallic surfaces, basements, lifts, alarms and random instruments. I wanted to create a movement in which people could truly hear and feel the building. I’m interested in making the avant-garde accessible to people. Creativity should have no barriers.” BISHI
Movement III (The Synthesis)
A powerful finale merging voices with the building’s mechanical sounds.
Listening note
“The third and final movement was focused on compositionally weaving together the musical languages, rich vocal harmonies and the industrial sounds together in a grand finale, which could unite the lovers across the Tyne, The Glasshouse architecture and the community of singers I worked with.” BISHI
Create your interpretation of The Water of Tyne
Gather some friends and perform your own version of The Water of Tyne by downloading the sheet music, freely available as part of this commission.
Download the score
Piano, Guitar or Cello (Optional)
Voice Parts
In her words
“The inspiration behind choosing this traditional song came out of a research session with folk performer and writer, Jennifer Reid. I was particularly drawn to the great Tyneside folk music describing the excitement of nightlife, the barbershops and the bustle of the markets.
‘The Water of Tyne’ is musically and thematically timeless. It’s a song with such historic weight and resonance within the North East; it felt right to reimagine for this commission, overlooking the River Tyne.
When drafting this piece for visitors to experience as they explore the building, I wanted an ethereal, immersive sonic experience, inspired by The Glasshouse’s strong sense of community, which underpinned the importance of reinterpreting a regional folk song.
As a Bengali, I find that Scottish and Irish folk music is referenced throughout our regional folk and contemporary classical music, so folk music has always been an important part of my musical evolution. Trained in Hindustani classical vocals, which are considered the highest instrument in an oral tradition, and the Sitar, I draw on my bi-cultural background to connect my two musical worlds. Raag Durga, an evening pentatonic raga, melodically complements ‘The Water of Tyne’ and mirrors the evening focus of the Tyneside music I researched. This also connects to the October Durga Puja tradition, where goddess statues are immersed in the River Ganges at the end of the ten-day celebration.
I hope visitors experience something which is both ethereal and sparks curiosity and connection to the land. Every region we inhabit has music which is specific to its environment. Folk music and choral music allow us to access something timeless and to understand ourselves better”.
BISHI, August 2026
Creative team
'The Water of Tyne: Reimagined'
Composed, arranged and produced by BISHI
Voices: Brian Eno, BISHI, Ilā, Ian Bruce, Jennifer Reid, Genevieve Dawson
Engineered by Extended Play and BISHI
Mixed by Robert Logan
Scored by Andrea Possee
Special thanks to Joe Townshend, Extended Play (Pete Townshend and Rachel Fuller Townshend), Jo Rendle, Genevieve Dawson, Aisling Brouwer and Hard Art Collective.
Image credit: Fiona Garden