The sea has long been a source of fascination for poets, artists, and composers alike—a vast and ever-changing presence that evokes both tranquility and power. In Blue Haze of Deep Time, Jonathan Nangle invites us to consider not just what the sea looks like, but what it sounds like - watch a preview above.
Drawing from years of field recordings and a deep connection to the Irish coastline, his new composition - premiering at New Music Dublin 2025 - transforms the movement of waves, the rhythms of the tide, and the unpredictable character of the ocean into an immersive musical journey.
Performed promenade-style by Crash Ensemble, the piece carries listeners through shifting sonic landscapes, mirroring the ebb and flow of water itself.
Below, Jonathan Nangle shares the inspirations and creative process behind Blue Haze of Deep Time, a work that asks us to listen more closely to the world around us.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied
From Sea Fever (1902) – John Masefield
What does the sea sound like?
As you consider this question, picture yourself standing on the shore, perhaps in a place you know well. What is the shoreline made of? Is it a sandy beach or lined with rocks or pebbles? If it is a rocky shoreline, are those rocks big and imposing or small and polished? Do the waves gently lap at the shore or crash onto the beach, prompting you to scurry back as they threaten to engulf your shoes in fizzing foam? Are the waves breaking from left to right or the other way around? Is the rhythm of the waves regular or erratic? Have you noticed any changes in the intensity or frequency of the waves? Is the tide coming in or going out?
Can you hear the sound of the waves? What does the sea sound like?
Blue Haze of Deep Time is a profound and immersive musical exploration, a sequence of journeys that seeks to answer this question, at least from my perspective.
Let's take a step back.
I have been involved in field recording for many years. I enjoy exploring different environments to discover what sonic treasures I might capture. Each trip is unique; some offer a wealth of delightful sounds and chance encounters with nature and the environment, while others are nothing more than a pleasant day in the countryside. I have rarely included material from these recording sessions in my musical practice; they were mainly for my enjoyment, a way to decompress and connect with my surroundings.
Listen: Blue Haze of Deep Time by Jonathan Nagle and Crash Ensemble
During the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, I regularly took my field recorder on walks. I am fortunate to live near the sea, and with our boundaries limited, I would stroll along the coast, stopping to record whenever the sea displayed an interesting character. As restrictions gradually eased, I continued to capture the sea in various locations along the coastline. By the end of the summer of 2021, I had accumulated a considerable number of recordings and began to wonder what I could do with them.
As the composer David Rothenberg writes in Music in Nature, 'Sounds define us, hold us in, lead us away. They announce themselves to us, they call from all over the world. With only a little effort, the whole world can be heard as music. We can hear sounds with meanings that are not intended for us as if they were music and soon call them beautiful'.
As I began working with the collected recordings, I applied my compositional ear by combining, manipulating, and layering them. Gradually, a piece started to take shape, and the possibilities for its development unfolded before me. I could hear the music in the sea, and it inspired a creative journey (and many more field-recording trips to record the sea).
In December 2021, while collaborating with Crash Ensemble on a piece to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (This Is Our Home, We Live Here, for violin, viola, cello, double bass and percussion), Kate Ellis, the Artistic Director and cellist of Crash Ensemble asked if I would like to work on something larger for the group.
Fast forward to 2025: on April 6, Crash Ensemble will premiere Blue Haze of Deep Time at the New Music Dublin Festival in the National Concert Hall. This piece will be presented promenade style, inviting the audience on a journey through the hall, with movements performed in different areas along the way. You will be swept up on a wave and carried to its peak before being drawn back out to sea again.
The composition consists of six movements, each titled to reflect the essence of my creative idea.
- Bláth Ban. The title of the opening movement is taken from an Irish phrase, 'Bláth Bán ar gharraí an iascaire' (white flowers on the fisherman's garden), also 'uisce coipthe' and refers to frothing foaming water.
- The title of this movement and the overall work, Blue Haze of Deep Time, is inspired by author Ben Childs and his memoir, The Flitting. In this book, he recounts the summer he spent chasing butterflies for his bedridden father, who had terminal cancer and could no longer experience the beauty of nature he cherished. Childs writes of one expedition, "And then it's there, the ocean, a blue haze of deep time sandwiched between ancient hills."
- In his book The Push, Tommy Caldwell uses the phrase 'Iridescent Oceans of Gold and White Granite' to describe his rock climbing experiences, particularly his ascent of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The glistening sunlight reflecting off the water's surface as you travel along the dart line between Dalkey and Killiney immediately comes to mind.
- Inbhear Glas means green/grey river mouth or estuary, where the sea meets the river. I have childhood memories of visiting family in Inver, Co Donegal, close to where my mother is from.
- Marginal Sea. A marginal sea is a part of an ocean between the coastal zone and the open ocean. Such a sea is partly enclosed by land and not as deep as the open ocean. The Irish Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic.
- Where Grey Waves Rise and Fall Unseen.
So let me ask you again: what does the sea sound like?
If you’re interested in hearing my answer to this question, come and listen to Crash Ensemble perform my piece, Blue Haze of Deep Time, at the New Music Dublin Festival 2025 on Sunday, April 6th.
In the meantime, you can hear a (very) small selection of field recordings gathered during the creation of Blue Haze of Deep Time below:
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Blue Haze of Deep Time premieres on Sunday 6th April, with promenade performances at 4.00pm & 9.15pm, at the NCH Studio and other spaces, National Concert Hall Dublin, as part of New Music Dublin 2025- find out more here.
