Testing our prototype 'acoustic cannon' pipe, in Tim Hunkin's shed, Suffolk. We realised our pipe would be very large and difficult to move from venue to venue so we employed Tim Hunkin (engineer, cartoonist and sculptor) and Graham Norgate to make a generator that would be portable. Tim and Graham assembled the pipe in a couple of days, spending time to make the device easily transportable. Tim and Graham are both excellent craftsman - and Tim has the added advantage of a owning the biggest shed we've ever seen! (pictured here).

The strange, white figure standing in the back of this photo is a mock crash-test dummy, made by Tim for The Human Factor (an exhibition, in collaboration with Sarah and others, for the Science Museum, UK).

Ciarán working out pipe frequencies on the calculator, after a visit to St Alban's Abbey. Like many other cathedrals and churches in the UK, St Alban's pipe organ can play down to infrasonic frequencies.

Graham feeling the pipe to look for unwanted vibrations in the support, while Sarah checks levels from the PA system and Richard Lord keeps a watchful eye on NPL's frequency analysing equipment.

Tim Hunkin on test day, with our prototype pipe in the background. Our prototype was built from a plastic sewer pipe. An extra-long-stroke loudspeaker was mounted a third of the way along the pipe which was around 7 metres long.

A snapshot of GéNIA, taken through the pipe. This photo was taken during our open rehearsal in Liverpool Cathedral. Photographer: Laura Davis (Liverpool Echo).

The open rehearsal in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, September 2002. This photo was taken by Dan who was sitting in one of the alcoves of this great circular building, alongside our generator.

Photo copyright National Physical Laboratory

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Sarah Angliss
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