Brill (a)
Cantata Ad Pisces “Scopthalmus Rhombus”
by Catsnjammer
In the research phase for this project I came across the Latin taxonomic classification of the brill. As someone who grew up singing in choirs the first thing that springs to mind when I read Latin is sacred choral music so I began to sing the words. The idea of elevating the pretty but odd-looking bottom-feeding flatfish to the level of an object of divine worship was tantalising. I’d like to say that it was an intentional choice due to the location of the brill fish on the trail being outside St Mary’s, Lowgate, but that fact only struck me after I’d done the first draft of the composition. A coincidence; or perhaps if you prefer, divine intervention.
I imagine this piece as being a snapshot of a larger work, revering many fish and not just the brill; the Cantata Ad Pisces, or “Cantata To The Fish”. The movement “Scopthalmus Rhombus” (Brill) is written in five parts for high voices. This was partly as a nod to the female voice choir in “Neptune” from Gustav Holst’s The Planets suite, but primarily because I wrote each line to be within my own vocal range so I could record myself singing each line for the final work. The SSAA choir is singing the classification categories (translated as closely into Latin as I could manage where not already), and the soloist is singing the brill’s classification. The reverb used in the work is from a field recording of a balloon being popped inside St Mary’s to capture the reflections of the space, thus sounding like the choir is singing inside the church.
I hope to have a further phase of development of this work, using the cantata movement as the basis for a more experimental piece. However, the movement is complete in and of itself and I am glad to present it as a stand alone work.
Artist: Catsnjammer
Sound & Performance Artist
Fish Profile:
Brill - Scophthalmus rhombus
Conservation status
The IUCN list Brill as Least Concern on their Red List. The population has increased in the North Sea and English Channel since a low in 1997. There are concerns about decline in the Baltic Sea.
The MCS note that some fishing areas are more sustainable than others. Brill caught by otter trawl or gill net is the Best Choice. Brill caught by beam trawl is OK – but Needs Improvement.
The Cornwall Good Fish Guide comments that the latest ICES stock assessment shows that Brill stocks continue to do well in Cornish waters: ‘They have a relatively low vulnerability to over fishing being faster growing than many other flatfish species. In Cornwall there is a minimum landing size of 30cm for Brill’.