The Sonic Spider is the brainchild of Camilla Saunders composer and co-ordinator, whose work attempts to build bridges between species on this planet through the medium of sound; biologist and science writer Dr. Alun Anderson, and musician and maker Charlie Beresford – who designed and built the final instrument.
The performances with the instrument are intended to convey the drama of the world of an orb web spider.
These spiders – always female – spend a lot of time in their webs, waiting for prey. They have very poor eyesight, so rely on the vibrations that their legs – acting as ears – pick up. They can tell the difference between small prey that they can catch and eat without risk, larger prey that might fight back (eg a wasp) or a male suitor. This last makes especial effort to sound different to a prey animal, as he wishes to avoid being eaten (though sometimes, even after a romantic encounter, the female may still eat him).
The Sonic Spider information pdf – Download