PSQT is leading a project during the Cultural Olympiad 2009-2012 to build a stone lithophone for percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, to play in a performance that celebrates the opening of the Olympic sailing events in 2012.

The stone Lithophone, built on site from stones that ring, will explore the distinctive range of tones, harmonics and sustained reverberation found in the geological structures of the different quarries on Portland. In quarries from Pietra Santa to Tamil Nadu the stones are traditionally rung to check the purity of the block. This gives a purposeful international dimension to this project, for example through an international archive of stone ringing and quarrying skills.

Portland stone has remarkable acoustic and light reflecting properties and connections are being developed between the arts, earth sciences, industry and ecology. Research and educational materials developed from the project will provide cross-disciplinary approaches to learning from the environment for local and national schools and particularly the new Portland Academy.

Have a look at our film, made during the developmental stages of the project at the bottom of the homepage.