Liz Hanks is our latest ‘Off the Shelf’ guest, in which we ask artists to present objects from a shelf or shelves from their home and talk about them.
Liz has just released her new album, Land, on Hudson Records, also one of our Featured Albums of the Month.
In the guest article below, Liz presents an Ammonite and says, “There is so much below our feet that is yet to be discovered and understood.” That’s so true, and it also made me think of her album, on which Thomas Blake said:
On ‘Land’, an immersive album of depth and subtlety, Liz Hanks helps us understand how a place changes over time. She reads her surroundings like a vast physical palimpsest, peeling away roads and buildings to examine the earthy underbelly, the strata of human activity and natural change.
Section of Crucible Theatre carpet
When the Crucible Theatre was refurbished, I got a souvenir piece of carpet. I also wonder about the many feet that have walked on this carpet over the years.
I came to Universtiy in Sheffield in the 90s and attended many Lindsay String Quartet concerts at the Crucible studio. I will never forget the incredible sound the quartet made; sometimes, their playing was so well-balanced it sounded like one instrument. This was a great time for classical music in Sheffield, and this piece of carpet is like one piece in a jigsaw of my musical experiences and influences.
A drawing of my house by Anna Wiggins and an 18th-century map of Derbyshire
This map was given to me by a teacher, Bernard Gregor Smith, as a gift when he left Sheffield. At the time the map was printed, the boundary between Derbyshire and Yorkshire was along the stream, the Meers Brook, not far from my house. The boundary moved further south as the city grew, but this unassuming brook is believed to have also formed the boundary between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria.
My very talented artist friend drew my house as a present a few years ago. The terraced house that I live in has been here for about 120 years, a short space of time in the grand scheme of things.
When I first moved north, I was quite taken aback by how strangers would chat to you at the bus stop. One day I met a lady at the bus stop near my road. It turned out she used to live in my house in the 1960s, and her great-aunt had lived in my house from the day it was built. It’s so amazing to find a link to the past like this.
Tortoise
This tortoise belongs to my son, he recently did a piano exam at Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield (I think the best exam centre in the country!), and this came from the Warehouse Antiques Centre as a gift for doing his exam. We didn’t think about it at the time, but I guess it represents the long haul of learning an instrument. It takes years of hard work but is well worth it.
English Folk Songs for Schools Book
My Dad used to sell books and found this one for me. I am really passionate about music education and giving all children a chance to learn music; it has certainly changed my life. I love the work that Soundpost do in Sheffield, making folk accessible and inclusive. They run the Folk Factory groups, giving children a chance to learn and play folk music. I would love to see our traditional music nurtured in all schools across the country.
Ammonite
The oldest object on any of my shelves. This ammonite came from the Dorset coast. There is so much below our feet that is yet to be discovered and understood.
Richard Hawley ‘Coles Corner’ music box
It’s been a pleasure to play cello on Richard’s music for over 20 years; his songs have become a soundtrack to my time in Sheffield. Coles Corner is particulalry special as it is one of his early tunes. It’s about a place in Sheffield city centre where folk used to meet before a night out (pre-mobile phones!). It’s a beautiful song and has a wonderfully nostalgic sound.
An instrument made by Leafcutter John/photo of friends and Glastonbury ticket
Leafcutter John is an amazing musician, artist and fearless innovator. I met John during the pandemic; he had recently moved up to Sheffield and was on the hunt for some broken cymbals for a project. My husband Jack is a drummer, so I was happy to pass some on. Since meeting, John has made an amazing remix of one of my tracks (due to be released in the autumn).
The photo is of good times eating food with friends and the Glastonbury ticket from a very special time performing there in 2019.
Umbrella
This was once my grandmother’s. She used to have a closet in her hall that had this umbrella, her coats and shoes in. I can still recall the smell; I think it was probably of boot polish. I fondly think of her every time I use it.
A fan
I was given the fan by my children for my birthday. They are really into Manga and anything Japanese, including the food! I visited Japan about 15 years ago and have always been taken by the culture and traditions. Whilst there, we saw one of Yayoi Kusama’s famous pumpkin sculptures on the island of Naoshima. I also recently went to her latest exhibition in Manchester; absolutely amazing, I highly recommend!
Photo of Nana Hanks
I love this photo of my grandma; she was born in 1912. She lived to be 97 years old and met my daughter just before she died. I often think about how much change she saw throughout her life.
A huge thanks to Liz for sharing these personal objects, stories and giving us this brief glimpse into her world.
We all need to take some time out in this often hectic world that we live in, and I find music and walking to be two of the magical keys to unlocking that release.
Liz’s Land album is a unique offering in that it combines both music and walking – the album can now be experienced in a fully immersive accompanying app which maps out a guided walk of the areas that inspired and feature on the album, the GPS tracker blends the tracks as you walk and you’ll hear specially recorded commentary written by Sheffield writer Sally Goldsmith.
https://www.lizhankscello.com/
Also, you can find out more about Soundpost and the work that they do here: https://soundpost.org.uk/