DJALCHEMI

Be patient, it's a longplayer

Another year is over, and today I made what is becoming my annual visit to the Longplayer 'listening post' at Trinity Buoy Wharf lighthouse. It seemed busier than New Year's Eve last year. The picture on the left was taken at lunchtime in the listening post at the top of the lighthouse — it shows one of the speakers for the music, and outside the window is the River Thames.

Longplayer is a piece of music that plays, without repetition, for a thousand years. Today is the seventh anniversary of the beginning of its continuous performance. There is more about the work in my accounts of my 02003 and 02005 visits. And more photos in my Longplayer set on Flickr. Listen to Longplayer in real time, and please make a donation to keep it playing, if you can.

Lucy is not well, so we won't be going out tonight. Many of the things we had hoped would have come to fruition by the end of this year are still in progress or up in the air. Longplayer is a consoling reminder that a year is a short time and that there is much to be said for being still and patient. Happy New Year!