Meeting Sophie Cooper
I met Sophie Cooper at the New Music Biennial 2025, during the first rehearsal of the March by Uri Agnon. Sophie was one of the event organisers, working with Contemporary Music for All. As one of the first participants to arrive, I was welcomed warmly by her.
An Artist’s Vision
Sophie is a trombonist and composer, as well as an artist with her own studio in Littleborough. At the time, she was soon to be exhibiting her work in Rochdale. The exhibition was entitled Land and Brass. Though the exhibition space was modest, the works displayed were the result of thoughtful collaboration between artists and musicians.
The Exhibition: Land and Brass
The centrepiece of the art and sound installation was Sophie Cooper’s composition Echoes of Reclamation, performed by the Milnrow Brass Band. Recycled speakers and brass band instruments were repurposed to create a bespoke sound system, splitting the instrumental sounds across different channels. The instruments, varying in size, acted as baffles that complemented the different registers of the band.
Artists Ste Cranston, Angela Tait, and Ellie Waters assisted Sophie in fabricating the work. Individual portrait photographs by Nic Chapman of the Milnrow Brass Band musicians were displayed in the exhibition, each showing a musician in traditional band uniform with their instrument.
Connection to Community
The exhibition attracted many people connected to brass bands in the North of England. Instrument cases piled up in the rehearsal room, and the sensory memories—the smell and taste of the instruments as the first notes warmed up—evoked nostalgia for those who had participated in brass bands. The haunting sounds of the track faded in and out, like memories surfacing from the mists of time; a soprano cornet would shine through the haze.
Rochdale and Reflections on Heritage
Outside, Rochdale town is typical of many that straddle both sides of the Pennines. The decline of its manufacturing base has left many northern towns struggling to reinvent their purpose. Land and Brass poses important questions about sustainability and the future: How do we repurpose our land and identity, while preserving the best aspects of our culture and heritage? Art plays a vital role in provoking inspiration, thought, and discussion.
Exploring the town, it was encouraging to see the historic art gallery being redeveloped by the Touchstones Trust. The site is being transformed into a museum, gallery, art centre, and performance venue, complete with studios, meeting, and educational spaces.
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