We were commissioned to create a five-room soundscape to bring the cellar spaces of Blenheim Palace to life with the conversations and sounds of the people who used to work there. The year is 1896 and we meet the staff who were busy preparing for a royal visit from the Prince and Princess of Wales.

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Working with the curatorial and research team at Blenheim, we developed a script and scenarios for each room, fleshing out the characters of the staff, including butlers, chefs, maids and footmen. We then cast, directed and recorded 13 voiceover artists in multiple studios; designed, procured and installed the audio systems; Created all the multi-channel voice and sound effect sequences and finally programmed, mixed and balanced all audio on site for the five distinct exhibit spaces.

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The spaces had hard and reflective surfaces and as we couldn’t add acoustic treatment, we handled sound bleed by selecting the most appropriate type of speakers for each room and carefully positioning them to contain the audio as much as possible. We arranged, managed and supervised the install with a small team, then balanced and equalised the sound in each space, to ensure minimal overlap. Finally, an O&M manual was produced to help the client understand how to run the system.

This project expands on the many soundscape interventions we created for Keats House in London and for the Downton Abbey touring exhibition.