What is happening?
Treeline is lucky to have Collaborative Partners throughout Europe. They range from music venues, festivals and environmental charities to city halls, universities, village communities and schools. Each collaborator brings a community together to choose a local tree, of importance to them. They make a ‘profile’ of the tree and its surroundings, including measurements, drawings, poems, ambient audio and recordings from the inside of the tree. Graham uses all this information to make a new hour long work for piano and keyscanner, adapted to play the tree sounds as a newly created forest instrument, from the piano keyboard.
When and Where?
In the summer of 2026 Graham will undertake a journey from Romania back to the UK, performing the new work through Europe in the towns and cities of those very trees, working with the communities at each place. Sometimes he will be joined by local musicians for the performances. Graham will begin with a concert in Bucharest, Romania, before performing 20 concerts across Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and UK, all by bicycle. Initially in eastern Europe there are significant amounts of old growth forest remaining, but as the journey progresses westward these dwindle and the journey follows the remnants of these old forests. So many of Europe’s old growth forests have been wiped out now, and the remainder are under constant and increasing threats. It is important for this project that trees are celebrated, recorded and their stories become part of the music.
Which Forests does the journey follow?
In Romania Graham will initially pass through the Carpathian Mountains following the Fagaras, Sinça and Hoia-Baciu forests before heading to the forests of Zemplen in northern Hungary which have been subject to much logging. He then heads northwest to the Stužica forest of Slovakia, one of the largest remaining beech tree forests in Europe. In Poland Graham continues westward to the Silesian Foothills and the remnants of the protected Beskids area before cycling to the remnants of the Murckowski forests. The route then dips down into Czechia past the beech forests of the protected Broumovsko then back up to Krajobrazowy Doliny Bobru again in Poland, with its ever dwindling remnants of old growth forests. Things become ever more patchy now. In Germany we pass through the beautiful Hainich National Park before heading to the Savelsbos Woodland area in Nederland, which whilst no longer classed as old growth, still has a multi-layered canopy and diverse biodiversity. In Belgium,standing like a beacon is the Sonian Forest near Leuven, and this is the last old growth forest until we come to Epping Forest in southeast England.
There are many threads to this project. Using creative practices it connects communities to their trees, raises awareness of forest biodiversity and its other benefits. It produces new creative work, a new hour long music project and a new album of the final work will be released in 2026. You will be able to keep track of Graham on the LIVE tab from May 2026!
