Brush, tap, brush, tap

Over the years quite a few programmes on Radio 4 have done 'sound sculptures' : showcasing sounds that mean certain things to certain people. Noises are like smells and can provoke memories and evoke moods.

Brush forward, tap, brush forward, tap, brush forward, tap.......

I realised while clearing some debris from the front of the house the other day that this is one of my 'sound sculptures'. Brush forward and a tap and then a repeat. I was sweeping with a hard bristled brush. My technique being to clear the debris into a pile and then tap the brush on the ground to release any dirt that has got caught up in the bristles and then brush another pile and tap.

It took me back to mucking out time on my parent's farm. After the cows had been milked, the yard where they had congregated, waiting to be led into the parlour, had to be cleaned of cow muck. An orange bristled brush came out and brush forward, tap, brush forward, tap would ensue.

A sound made up of thousands of hard bristles rushing against the concrete to reveal a glistening floor and then a full stop to finish the sweep. A rhythmic sentence which was repeated and repeated. Part of this appealing picture was the wooden handled brush with a head of thousands of bright orange tensile hairs. To a little girl I guess it was slightly odd to see such a vibrant colour in an otherwise boring dull place.

It was a job well done. I might add it was a job I never did nor wanted to do but found it sort of fascinating. You started with a dirty yard and finished with a pristine glistening place, ready for the next milking time.

Brush, tap, brush, tap, brush, tap..............