Seven-hour sound installation to transform Cardiff’s Temple of Peace

The Marble Hall at Cardiff’s Temple of Peace will become a sanctuary of music, sound and contemplation during Cardiff Music City Festival 2026.

Welsh composer, musician and sound artist Richard James, formerly of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, will present a newly commissioned live performance and sound installation under his musical alias, Evolution Of Beauty.

Combining analogue synthesisers, field recordings, spoken word, acoustic and electronic elements, the performances will explore harmony, disharmony and the natural resonance of the Marble Hall through looping, sound effects and improvisation.

Recordings made with musicians Jan Hendrickse, Angharad Van Rijswijk, Rhodri Davies and Gareth Bonello during improvised performances inside Wogan Cavern in 2025 will be repurposed for the installation and combined with live and partly pre-composed elements to create slow-burning performances that evolve across seven hours.

The free performances will run from 1pm to 8pm on October 5, 6 and 8 and audiences can enter and leave at any time.

Evolution of Beauty is part of city-wide programme of performances, talks, exhibitions and special events taking place during Cardiff Music City Festival 2026, which runs from October 2 to 17 and also encompasses Sŵn Festival, Llais, and the Welsh Music Prize.

Richard James said: “The Marble Hall has this incredible natural resonance and a history that gives the space a meaning far beyond its architecture. The aim is to explore what happens when live performance, recorded sound and the character of the building are allowed to interact over an extended period.

“My hope is that it creates a gentle space for contemplation and provides an opportunity to step away from the noise of the outside world.”

Cardiff Music City Festival Curator Ruth Cayford said: “Evolution of Beauty brings together music, architecture, history and experimentation, encouraging audiences to experience this important building in a completely different way.

“People can stay for a few minutes or several hours, listen closely, move around the space or simply sit and read – it’s really up to them. It promises to be an unusual, welcoming and accessible part of the wider Cardiff Music City Festival programme that the whole city, even those who might not usually go to a gig, can enjoy.”

Full programme: https://cardiffmusiccity.wales/events/