Jarvis Cocker Creates Free Album of 'Peace and Tranquility' for the National Trust

Jarvis Cocker has created a relaxation album including birdsong, lapping waves and the sound of clocks in tandem with Britain's leading landscape and architecture charity the National Trust.

The 33-minute-long 'National Trust: The Album' is more in line with Cocker's recent award-winning DJ work on BBC Radio 4 than with his music as lead singer of Pulp, and is described by himself as a work "to aid relaxation or contemplation."

Cocker also hopes that the 13-track album -- available as a free download from the NT website until the end of June -- will "inspire" people to visit the places featured, including Ham House in Surrey, Upton House in Warwickshire and Patterson's Spade Mill in Co. Antrim in Northern Ireland.


Announcing the release of the album, Cocker said, "I hope this album is a 'Holiday for the Ears.' It's not really meant to be listened to intently -- like a piece of music -- but more as something to have on in the background to aid relaxation or contemplation. Plus, you get to visit 13 National Trust properties in the space of 30 minutes. No mean feat. I hope it has the feel of one continuous journey and conjures up an image in the mind's eye of the places featured. I also hope it could inspire the listeners to then visit the sites for themselves."

The idea for the unique set of recordings came as a response to a National Trust survey which revealed that 83 percent of those polled said noise interuptions were their main reason for losing concentration, especially from mobile phones. Meanwhile 88 percent said it was "easier to think" with sounds of nature around them.

'National Trust: The Album' will be aired publicly at several places in London on Thursday, May 13, including on the concourse at Paddington Station. Other locations are to be revealed.

The full track-list of 'National Trust: The Album' is:

'Belton House, Grantham, Lincolnshire' (Garden stroll with the crunch of gravel underfoot)
'Belton House, Grantham, Lincolnshire' (Birdsong)
'Brownsea Island, Poole, Dorset' (Waves lapping against the shore)
'Ham House, Richmond, Surrey' (Footsteps along the Long Gallery)
'Chartwell, Westerham, Kent' (Creaking stairs of the grand staircase)
'Upton House, Banbury, Warwickshire' (Game of billiards at play)
'Lanhydrock, Bodmin, Cornwall' (Music box playing in the Nursery)
'Quarry Bank Mill, Wilmslow, Cheshire' (Children playing at the Apprentice House)
'Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden, Ripon, York' (Birdsong in the water garden)
'Powis Castle & Garden, Welshpool, Powys' (Gardeners at work in the formal garden)
'Patterson's Spade Mill, Ballyclare, County Antrim' (Mill at work)
'Blickling Hall, Norwich, Norfolk' (Sounds of clocks in the hall)
'Blickling Hall, Norwich, Norfolk' (Wind in the clock tower)