International tourist attraction “Singing Ringing Tree” arriving

Private collector has donated sculpture to Abilene; 1 of only 3 in the world

JULY 12, 2022 – A wind-powered sound sculpture made up of nearly 27 tons of cascading pipes is arriving in its new, permanent home in downtown Abilene on July 26. “The Singing Ringing Tree” is expected to take three days to reassemble and is anticipated to become a tourist draw for the city.

                “It’s a masterpiece, and for Abilene, it’s going to draw a lot of visitors to the city,” said John King, owner of JK Welding in the Houston area.

                The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council contracted with JK Welding to dismantle the sculpture from its location on private property in Travis County and reassemble it in Abilene east of the Frontier Texas! museum in the grassy median where Treadaway Boulevard splits and flows into South 1st St. Visitors will be able to park at Frontier Texas! and walk down the sidewalk to Treadaway to hear it. King said you can hear it from 100-400 feet away and that wind speeds are a factor for it to make sound, something that should not be a problem in a windy city like Abilene.

The sculpture will be positioned to just the right angle to maximize the wind blowing across the pipes to generate this music. The humming sound produced has been described as “melodious” and “choral,” covering a range of several octaves.

The sculpture was originally designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu as part of a project for the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network in England to create landmarks over the countryside. The sculpture was completed in 2006 and placed on a hill range overlooking the town of Burnley, whose population is about half the size of Abilene’s, and like Abilene, is considered windy. “The Singing Ringing Tree” there has become a tourist attraction and was named one of the Top 10 places for “sound art” in the world. In 2007, the sculpture won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ National Award for architectural excellence.

A second “Singing Ringing Tree” sculpture was created and located in Saudi Arabia.

A third version was commissioned by a Texas art collector and completed in 2017. JK Welding was contracted to create the sculpture, which King says is 22 feet tall and has 22 levels of pipes that are 11-12 inches tall each utilizing 6-inch pipe of various thicknesses. The pipe swirls around to form the shape of a wind-blown bent tree although some say it resembles a tornado.

The sculpture is said to be inspired by a 1957 East German children’s film later shown on BBC television that was inspired by a German fairy tale about a spoiled princess who demands the Singing Ringing Tree from a would-be suitor. The tree’s leaves ring with music for those with love in their hearts. The connection between the sculpture and the fairy tale makes the art piece a great fit for the Storybook Capital of America®, said Lynn Barnett, executive director of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council.

JK Welding will be filming the dismantling and reassembling of the sculpture. Viewers can watch the process live or get updates starting July 25 on the welding company’s various social media platforms:

-          https://www.facebook.com/jkweldinghtx

-          https://www.instagram.com/jkwelding/

-          https://www.tiktok.com/@jkwelding

-          https://www.linkedin.com/company/jk-welding-llc/

In addition, Northern Tool + Equipment, a JK Welding sponsor, will be sending a film crew to Abilene to film the sculpture’s journey for a future TV commercial.

“The Singing Ringing Tree” is one of six sculptures worth nearly a half million dollars that a Texas art collector is donating to the City of Abilene. The other five sculptures will be arriving in the next few weeks. They are:

1)      “Davidians” – Mosaic tile Porky Pig pop art by Dianne Sonnenberg applied to granite carved by Stuart Simpson.

2)      “Rainbow Bear” – Abstract Texas limestone figure by artist Stuart Simpson.

3)      “Critter” – Abstract Texas limestone animal by artist Stuart Simpson.

4)      “Dancing Pony (Red)” – Abstract cast aluminum horse sculpture by artist Kevin Box.

5)      “Kinetic Spinner” – A 10-foot tall steel and glass moving sculpture by artist Jim LaPaso.

“The Singing Ringing Tree” (Photo courtesy of John King/JK Welding)

Location of “The Singing Ringing Tree” east of Frontier Texas! museum in downtown Abilene, Texas