Anthropause on audio: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on church bell ringing and associated soundscapes in New South Wales (Australia)

Parker, Murray; Spennemann, Dirk H. R.

doi:10.1121/10.0002451

Cited by 27 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…In particular, respondents reported hearing less traffic noise and more nature sounds. Elsewhere, hand-clapping events took place during the coronavirus pandemic, and out-of-order church bell ringing has been observed, e.g., in Australia, which provided unique elements to the soundscape [ 11 , 12 ]; however, no special public sound events were performed by the citizens of Bochum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on Noise Levels in Urban Areas—A Pre/during Comparison of Long-Term Sound Pressure Measurements in the Ruhr Area, Germany

Hornberg

Haselhoff

Lawrence

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Background: A major source of noise pollution is traffic. In Germany, the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown caused a substantial decrease in mobility, possibly affecting noise levels. The aim is to analyze the effects of the lockdown measures on noise levels in the densely populated Ruhr Area. We focus on the analysis of noise levels before and during lockdown considering different land use types, weekdays, and time of day. Methods: We used data from 22 automatic sound devices of the SALVE (Acoustic Quality and Health in Urban Environments) project, running since 2019 in Bochum, Germany. We performed a pre/during lockdown comparison of A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure levels. The study period includes five weeks before and five weeks during the SARS-CoV-2 induced administrative lockdown measures starting on March 16, 2020. We stratified our data by land use category (LUC), days of the week, and daytime. Results: We observed highest noise levels pre-lockdown in the ‘main street’ and ‘commercial areas’ (68.4 ± 6.7 dB resp. 61.0 ± 8.0 dB), while in ‘urban forests’ they were lowest (50.9 ± 6.6 dB). A distinct mean overall noise reduction of 5.1 dB took place, with noise reductions occurring in each LUC. However, the magnitude of noise levels differed considerably between the categories. Weakest noise reductions were found in the ‘main street’ (3.9 dB), and strongest in the ‘urban forest’, ‘green space’, and ‘residential area’ (5.9 dB each). Conclusions: Our results are in line with studies from European cities. Strikingly, all studies report noise reductions of about 5 dB. Aiming at a transformation to a health-promoting urban mobility can be a promising approach to mitigating health risks of noise in cities. Overall, the experiences currently generated by the pandemic offer data for best practices and policies for the development of healthy urban transportation—the effects of a lower traffic and more tranquil world were experienced firsthand by people during this time.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on Noise Levels in Urban Areas—A Pre/during Comparison of Long-Term Sound Pressure Measurements in the Ruhr Area, Germany

Hornberg

Haselhoff

Lawrence

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This may be particularly relevant to regional Anglican churches, who reported a clear decreasing trend in bell ringing frequency. As the recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the potential for 'heritage sounds' to be temporarily quietened due to government-imposed public restrictions [58,59], it is apposite to consider formal recording of examples of change ringing to safeguard against any future loss. Examples exist of historic recordings of bells rung on special occasions, such as the ringing of Victory bells following Germany's surrender in WWII [60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemporary Sound Practices: Church Bells and Bell Ringing in New South Wales, Australia

Parker

Spennemann

2021

Heritage

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As a social species, humans have developed soundscapes that surround, and to some extent circumscribe, their daily existence. The concept of aural heritage, its conceptualization and its management represent a rapidly expanding area of research, covering aspects of both natural and human heritage. However, there have been no contemporary regional or supra-regional studies that examine the nature of sound making in Christian religious settings, nor the extent to which it is still used. This paper presents the results of a survey into the presence of bells and bell ringing practices among five major Christian denominations in New South Wales, and examines to what extent bell ringing is still practiced and what factors may determine any differentiation. In doing so, it provides an objective basis from which to investigate future changes in bell ringing practices, and provides a solid foundation with reference to aural heritage of sound in a religious setting.

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the intangible fabric of the cultural heritage of many communities. While the cancellation or postponement of national (football matches) and international (Olympics) sporting events [79,80], festivals and concerts [81,82], and museum exhibitions [83] readily springs to mind, it also manifested itself in changes to the pattern of the ringing of church bells [84,85] and other human activity sounds [86]. Compared to these more or less one-dimensional impacts, the Christmas markets are an example of how the cancellation of an event has a multifaceted impact on all senses that constitute intangible aspects of cultural heritage: aural, visual, and olfactory.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stille Nacht: COVID and the Ghost of Christmas 2020

Parker

Spennemann

2021

Heritage

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Annually, there are between 2500 and 3000 Christmas markets in Germany. While purported to be rooted in century-old tradition, the current concept of the markets, shaped in the 1930s, gradually transformed from primarily mercantile operations to experiential events. The experiential dimension is a collection of visual, auditory, and olfactory components that create a compound sensory response: the ‘Christmas atmosphere’. The prevalence of COVID-19 meant that traditional Christmas markets were largely absent from the festive calendar in Germany in 2020, disrupting the usual sensory experiences associated with these events. A review of the online presence showed that augmented markets and virtual reality were subsequently utilized in an attempt to re-create the experience and the ambience of the traditional markets, but had limited interactivity with many of the senses. We explore to what extent these multiple-sensory components may have been lost during the Christmas period of 2020 due to the COVID-19-induced transition from the traditional multisensory live market to a predominantly online experience, and highlight problems which arise through the documentation of such complex intangible heritage.

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Anthropause on audio: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on church bell ringing and associated soundscapes in New South Wales (Australia)

Cited by 27 publications

References 1 publication

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on Noise Levels in Urban Areas—A Pre/during Comparison of Long-Term Sound Pressure Measurements in the Ruhr Area, Germany

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on Noise Levels in Urban Areas—A Pre/during Comparison of Long-Term Sound Pressure Measurements in the Ruhr Area, Germany

Contemporary Sound Practices: Church Bells and Bell Ringing in New South Wales, Australia

Stille Nacht: COVID and the Ghost of Christmas 2020

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