no.234 | French Legation Projection
Porch Swing Orchestra playing ESTRAYS, a piece whose music and images were made and drawn from archival images and expressly written for this occasion. Performed live on the lawn of the historic French Legation in Austin, Texas, on November 9, 2024.
The French Legation is the oldest house in Austin the public can step inside. Its story is long and complicated. This house lends shape to memories, memories that become histories and articulations of values held.
When renovating the house a newspaper from 1851 was found inside the wall. Text from the "Estrays" section was excerpted to create the lyrical foundation for the song.
Thirteen hands high
Both hind legs are white
Crop and split right ear
Scar on his jaw
Supposed to be three years old
Lame in the right knee
About five feet high
Jersey sack coat
A black hat of wool
Slow Spoken
Shoes of his own make
Pistol on his belt
A House so old Sheltered many souls
A House so oldHolds its ghosts close
Hard truths be told
Bodies were bought and sold
What is an old house for
A Reckoning
Nothing Less
Nothing More
Barry Stone on Guitar
Paul Stautinger on Guitar
Mark Menjivar provided activated field recordings from the Texas Bird Sound Library
The French Legation is the oldest house in Austin the public can step inside. Its story is long and complicated. This house lends shape to memories, memories that become histories and articulations of values held.
When renovating the house a newspaper from 1851 was found inside the wall. Text from the "Estrays" section was excerpted to create the lyrical foundation for the song.
Thirteen hands high
Both hind legs are white
Crop and split right ear
Scar on his jaw
Supposed to be three years old
Lame in the right knee
About five feet high
Jersey sack coat
A black hat of wool
Slow Spoken
Shoes of his own make
Pistol on his belt
A House so old Sheltered many souls
A House so oldHolds its ghosts close
Hard truths be told
Bodies were bought and sold
What is an old house for
A Reckoning
Nothing Less
Nothing More
Barry Stone on Guitar
Paul Stautinger on Guitar
Mark Menjivar provided activated field recordings from the Texas Bird Sound Library
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ABOUT PSO
Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project begun by Barry Stone that explores the interplay between still images and sound.Since 2018, PSO has collaborated with dozens of musicians, artists, poets, writers, and activists to publish over 200 unique combinations of images and sounds.
Most PSO pieces are made on Stone’s front porch in Austin, Texas, but PSO has traveled to Spiral Jetty in Utah, the border town of Del Rio, Texas, Maine, the San Juan Islands, and performed live in the James Turrell Skyspace, The Color Inside as a part of The University of Texas Landmarks Songs in the Skyspace Program.
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Click on the PSO Radio Icon to Start the Stream
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Orchestra Players:
Gregory Brooks, Bob Warner, Emily Scarlet Kramer, Rainey Knudson, Ryan Lauderdale, Tamara Gonzales, Katy Chrisler, Gibson + Recoder, Paul Stautinger, Sarah Hennies, Eric Zimmerman, Matt Bauer, Sandy Carson, Ryan Rhodes, Rebecca Marino, Shannon Spurgeon, Aaron Winslow, Ivy Stone, Mark Menjivar, Gavin Watts, Ryan Sprott, Brad Tucker, Caleb Churchill, John Hunt, Audra Wolowiec, Lauren Grant, Bill McCullough, Henry Smith, Anthony Francis, Xavier Gilmore, Ana Treviño, Ariana Gomez, Jessica Mallios, Thomas Hooper, SKLOSS, The Reformers, Zuriel Waters, Joe Williams, Jason Reed, Adam Henry
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