A dark moorland scene with rocks in the foreground and a reservoir in the background. Laid on the moorland are fluorescent lighting tubes.
Free

24 May – 12 Oct 2025

Earth & Sky

Opera North

An immersive sound walk over the moors above Haworth.

Event Details
Date 24 May – 12 Oct 2025
Location Penistone Hill Country Park

Penistone Hill Country Park is one of the wild glories of Bradford District. Earth & Sky invites us to take a fresh look at this expansive landscape – with music as our guide.

Bradford 2025 and Opera North have invited composers Caterina Barbieri, Nyokabi Kariũki and Gwen Siôn to create new music and sound works inspired by Penistone Hill – and by the music of Bradford-born composer Frederick Delius.

The dramatic soundscape will take in everything from electronic innovations to African influences, woven together with field recordings by Sarah Keirle-Dos Santos, new poetry written by Bradford-born poet Nabeelah Hafeez and performances of Delius’s music by the Orchestra of Opera North. This ever-changing sound world uses state-of-the-art geolocation technology: with what you hear through your headphones triggered by every step you take – download the app below.

Earth & Sky is part of Wild Uplands, a series of exciting new artworks created for the vast skies and epic moorland views of Penistone Hill. 

Earth & Sky: A new, immersive GPS-triggered soundwalk

The Earth & Sky App

The Earth & Sky mobile app is available to download onto your smartphone and tablet from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Once you’ve downloaded the Earth & Sky app you’ll need to add the walk within the app. It is best to do this using WiFi before arriving.

Once on site remember to connect your headphones before pressing ‘start walk’ at the kissing gate leading out of the graveyard towards Penistone Hill. Wooden posts at the site of each commission will let you know when it’s time to pause and listen.

Borrow a device

If you would prefer to borrow a device and explore the audio world of Earth & Sky on one of our pre-loaded smartphone, you can book a free ticket below to borrow a smartphone and headphones with the app already downloaded.

Getting there

Good to know

The walk is 2.6 miles / 4.2km long and takes approximately 1 hour and 30 mins.

The walk is over uneven terrain so we recommend you wear appropriate footwear and check the weather before you visit.

Any questions? Contact our team on [email protected]

Credits
An Opera North commission for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
Supported by The Delius Trust.

Lead image: © Tom Arber

Credits

Caterina Barbieri
Composer
Nyokabi Kariũki
Composer
Gwen Siôn
Composer
Sarah Keirle-Dos Santos
Sound Artist

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