Sounds of the Mountain – Sound Archive

“S. Martinho de Anta, September 20th 1979 – Bucolism is over. The gratuitous flying that a wild blackbird would wake me up at dawn in the past was replaced with the useful noise of a chainsaw. Technique arrived here too. Wood for winter, which slow ox carts brought, screeching, from the woods, and service axes cracked in cadence, is now transported by hurried and rough tractors and broken into logs mechanically.
It is progress. But I cannot honour it in verse.”
Miguel Torga, Diary XIII

This entry by Miguel Torga, in Diary XIII, is the motto and inspiration for the work now presented: the Sound Archive of S. Martinho de Anta and other places that Torga crossed.
Our goal was to record for future memory the bucolism that still exists and persists in S. Martinho de Anta, but also the sounds of the present, the everyday of the village, matter of identity of the sonorous place S. Martinho de Anta.
Sound is part of the identity of places and also grants them identity. Sound is part of the immaterial heritage of the village, its sensorial heritage.
“They have nits… They have nits… They have nits…” It has been more than 80 years since the peeling of the bell of the old primary school of São Martinho de Anta was heard. Through the art of sounds, we may rescue from memory that acoustic dynamic of the past and bring it to the present, contextualising it here and now, from “The Creation of the World”, by Miguel Torga.

This is only an example of what we may perceive through the sonorous existence of a certain place, a sonorous place, a place built also from existing sounds, from the sounds that inhabit it. It is this strength, like the literary strength of Torga, that we mean to bring to this space – for study, research, belonging – this Miguel Torga Space, where, together with all the heritage present herein, we may listen to the world of Torga, climbing the mountain to hear the incessant murmur of the wind, going down the valley seeking fertile water, critters or stories about times gone by, told by men and women whose hands are calloused by time, the wind that passes.
“The Creation of the World”, mainly “The First Day”, was the major inspiration for this artistic work of sonorous archive and documentation of São Martinho de Anta and surrounding territory. Above all we sought, through careful but at the same time pleasant reading, the sonorities that the words included in this seminal work invoke: the school bell; Largo do Eirô; the wicker workshop; the blacksmith; the Easter tradition; the animals; rural life; the archaeological heritage; the civic example, through testimonies of some villagers; nature; etc.
This unique and original project records some of the landscapes and sound milestones of this territory. We hope that through it the inhabitants of these places may see themselves, hear themselves and also that it be a fruitful space to (re)read the work of Miguel Torga.
We thank the Municipality of Sabrosa for believing in this project and the Miguel Torga Space, in the person of Dr João Sequeira, for all the support provided to execute it.
Luís Antero
January and May 2017




LISTENING GUIDE

01. SRA. DA AZINHEIRA (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (03:15) What sounds are hidden in a water tube at Senhora da Azinheira?

02. SRA. DA AZINHEIRA 2 (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (03:47) Some people of São Martinho de Anta climb to Senhora da Azinheira to wash their car.

03. MEMORIES (MR JOSÉ ‘DA GARGANTA’) (GARGANTA) (11:16) Around the village of Garganta, Mr José speaks of old times and daily activities of his village.

04. IRON ON LAND (GARGANTA) (03:11) A man, an iron, the land, the sound.

05. WATER OF GARGANTA (08:59) The fluvial landscape of Garganta. The water that talks.

06. IN LUDARES (ALEXANDRA BORGES) (LUDARES) (08:25) Memories about the use of haystacks and the practice of “malhadas” in Ludares.

07. ABOUT VESEIRA (ALEXANDRA BORGES) (LUDARES) (05:26) Memories about the community practice of “veseira” in Ludares.

08. MATRAQUILHOS DE LUDARES (02:17) Sound landscape at the restaurant “O Mocho”.

09. ABOUT THE MALHADAS (ALEXANDRA BORGES) (LUDARES) (02:04) The title says it all.

10. AT THE RESERVOIR OF LUDARES (03:50) The water of the reservoir at the centre of the village and the peeling bell of the chapel.

11. WATER OF LUDARES (03:08) Sound landscape with water. Sonorous identity of the village.

12. TRACTOR IN LUDARES (02:04) The title says it all.

13. ARGENTINA ALVES (LUDARES) (16:00) Memories about marriage and other old daily practices of Ludares.

14. AT THE MILL (LUDARES) (06:41) Recording at the electric mill of Ms Argentina Alves.

15. WATER OF LUDARES 2 (05:28) Sound landscape with water. Sonorous identity of the village. – part 2.

16. FIVE O’CLOCK AT THE CHAPEL (LUDARES) (01:08) The strike of five o’clock at the chapel of Ludares.

17. AT THE PLACE OF CRUZES (LUDARES) (13:31) About haystacks and other memories, from the Place of Cruzes.

18. FROM THE PENSION (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (10:00) Morning sound landscape of São Martinho de Anta, from the Central Hostel.

19. LARGO DO EIRÔ (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (03:21) Morning sound landscape of Largo do Eirô.

20. IN HOUSE 1 (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (02:44)

21. IN HOUSE 2 (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (04:11)

22. IN HOUSE 3 (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (03:08) Sound landscape in and from the exterior of the home of Miguel Torga.

23. GATE OF THE SCHOOL (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (03:16) The sound produced by the old gate of the school.

24. AT THE WASHHOUSE (VILAR DE CELAS) (02:08) The sound of water at the village washhouse.

25. ABOUT THE VILLAGE (VILAR DE CELAS) (06:58) Memories.

26. ABOUT MIGUEL TORGA (MÁRIO GONÇALVES) (16:35) Memory and remembrance of living with Miguel Torga.

27. JOÃO ‘MARINHEIRO’ ROCHA AND WILSON ‘BLACKSMITH’ FERREIRA (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (23:39) Life stories, near the fountain, at Largo do Eirô.

28. FROM ‘VAGRANT’ TO MARRIED MAN (JOÃO ‘SAILOR’ ROCHA) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (09:57) The life story of João ‘Sailor’.

29. LIFE STORY AND POPULARES PRAYERS (MS PALMIRA) (VILAR DE CELAS) (32:10) The title says it all.

30. ABOUT MIGUEL TORGA (LUÍS GONÇALVES) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (15:05) Memory and remembrance of living with Miguel Torga.

31. ABOUT THE WIFE OF MIGUEL TORGA (LUÍS GONÇALVES) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (02:13) The title says it all.

32. LATHE (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (00:42) The sound of a manual lathe, at the home of Luís Gonçalves.

33 and 34. “THEY HAVE NITS… THEY HAVE NITS.. THEY HAVE NITS” (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (02:11) Thus begins  The First Day of The Creation of the World, by Miguel Torga. It has been more than 80 years since the peeling of the bell of the old primary school of São Martinho de Anta was heard.

35. CONVERSATION WITH LUÍS GONÇALVES AT SCHOOL (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (14:22) Memories about childhood, as a pupil at the primary school of São Martinho de Anta.

36. AT THE WICKER WORKSHOP (MANUEL TEIXEIRA) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (10:29) Conversation with Mr Manuel Teixeira, last wicker worker of São Martinho de Anta.

37. ON WOOD (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (01:10) Steps on wood. Sound identity.

38. SHOEING THE DONKEY (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (21:11) The sounds of the manual operation of shoeing the animal, in the workshop of the last blacksmith of São Martinho de Anta. Ancestral tradition in the village.

39. THE LAST BLACKSMITH (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (06:48) Conversation with Mr Adelino Real about the job of a blacksmith.

40. PINTA NAVIOS (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (04:21) Curiosities of a trip to Coimbra to visit Miguel Torga.

41. ABOUT MIGUEL TORGA (ALTINO AMARANTE) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (08:21) Memory and remembrance of living with Miguel Torga.

42. ABOUT THE PARENTS OF MIGUEL TORGA AND RATIONED FOOD (ALTINO AMARANTE) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (11:07) Heartfelt memories about hard times.

43. ABOUT THE STAY IN BRAZIL (ALTINO AMARANTE) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (04:18) Heartfelt memories about hard times - part 2

44. THEW TELEPHONE (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (00:25) The sound of the old telephone of the old Public Outpost of São Martinho de Anta.

45. ROAD TO ROALDE (02:05)

46. ROAD TO ROALDE 2 (01:10) Forest sound landscape near the road to Roalde.

47. ABOUT THE MILLS (MR JOSÉ AND MS MARIA) (QUEDA) (15:00) Conversation with a kind elderly couple about the time when the village of Queda had tens of working mills.

48. QUEDA, SOUND LANDSCAPE (06:02) Water and birds, some of the sound identity of the village of Queda.

49. WATER SPRINKLER AND DOGS (QUEDA) (04:37)

50. WATER LEAK (QUEDA) (02:34) Water, from different sound sources.

51. CRITTERS (QUEDA) (05:56) Sound Critters.

52. WATER ENGINE (QUEDA) (04:02) Equipment needed for daily agricultural tasks.

53. BROOK OF CORVA (ANTA) (05:11)

54. BROOK OF CORVA (ANTA) II (05:28)

55. BROOK OF CORVA (ANTA) III (03:28) Fluvial sound landscape.

56. BIRDS AND CRICKETS (ANTA) (03:26) Acoustic nature of the village of Anta.

57. ON THE PATH (ANTA) (04:55)

58. ON THE PATH II (ANTA) (05:50) Birds, insects, dogs, traffic. Acoustic identity of the village.

59. VILLA CONDOR (09:04) The sound landscape around Villa Condor, a place of the childhood of Miguel Torga.

60. VILAR DE CELAS (02:17)

61. COW (VILAR DE CELAS) (04:41)

62. COW AND BIRDS (VILAR DE CELAS) (01:59) Animals in the landscape. Sound in the landscape.

63. PRAYERS OF D. PALMIRA (VILAR DE CELAS) (32:14) What you don’t hear at church.

64. NEAR THE WASHHOUSE (ROALDE) (04:48)

65. AT THE WASHHOUSE (ROALDE) (04:17)

66. ON THE DAM (ROALDE) (06:34)

67. ON THE DAM II (ROALDE) (03:10) Fluvial sound landscape of Roalde. Water, birds, wind…

68. ON THE ROAD (MAMOA DAS MADORRAS) (02:05) Sound landscape around Mamoa das Madorras.

69. ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN SOUNDS (JOÃO SEQUEIRA) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (02:51) The reason for this unique artistic project of sound archive and documentation, in the words of the director of Miguel Torga Space.

70. CONVERSATION WITH JOÃO SEQUEIRA (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (15:03)

71. CONVERSATION WITH IDALINA CORREIA (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (09:52) Conversations about the life, work and person of Miguel Torga.

72. 9’O CLOCK IN THE CHURCH CLOCK (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (01:00)

73. 9’O CLOCK IN THE CHURCH CLOCK II (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (01:15)

74. INSIDE THE RECTORY TO BEGIN TH COMPASS (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (04:50) Acoustic religious heritage Easter day.

75. SEEKING COMPASS AND GOOD MORNING TO WHO PASSES (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (04:22)

76. EASTER COMPASS (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (25:07) Tradition. Easter compass.

77. BELL (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (00:53)

78. ENTRANCE TO MASS (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (00:58)

79. ENTRANCE TO MASS (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (07:45)

80. AT CHURCH (WAITING FROM THE PRIEST) (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (21:14)

81. CHANTS AT MASS AND BIRDS OUTSIDE (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) (01:27) Acoustic religious heritage Easter day - part 2.

82. ANTS AT MAMOA DAS MADORRAS (VILAR DE CELAS) (02:42) What do ants sound like?

83. MAMOA DAS MADORRAS (SOUND LANDSCAPE) (05:00)

84. WIND AT MAMOA DAS MADORRAS (VILAR DE CELAS) (03:01) Sound landscape around Mamoa das Madorras.

85. WATER RESERVOIR (MAMOA DAS MADORRAS) (VILAR DE CELAS) (01:38) The sound of water from the reservoir.

86. NECROPOLIS OF TOUÇAS (VILAR DE CELAS) (03:14)

87. NECROPOLIS OF TOUÇAS II (VILAR DE CELAS) (02:59)

88. NECROPOLIS OF TOUÇAS III (VILAR DE CELAS) (01:57) Sound landscape at the Necropolis of Touças.

89. SAINT MARTIN AT SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA The commemoration of Saint Martin at the village. Oxen bring the wine barrel from the cellar to Largo do Eirô, where it will be deposited and remain until the next morning.

90. MEAT, NEW WINE AND SPARSE VERSES (SÃO MARTINHO DE ANTA) Grilled meat, grilled sardines, wine from the barrel, sparse verses, popular and ad-libbed… thus is Saint Martin’s Day at São Martinho de Anta, in early morning of November 11th 2017.

TECHNICAL SHEET
Title: Sounds of the Mountain | Sound Archive of S. Martinho de Anta (from Miguel Torga)
Author: Luís Antero
Coordination: João Sequeira
Photography: Isaac Rolo Gonçalves and Luís Antero
Graphic design: Municipality of Sabrosa
Production: Municipality of Sabrosa
(c) 2017
(cc) 2018