Trois Martinets is a variation in three sequences of the melody "Le retour des Martinets," composed by artist Christophe Burgess for the OTO Award 2024, which is dedicated to young artists of EDHEA (Sierre). Part of the heritage of the Martigny bell tower, located in the Rhône Valley south of the Swiss Alps, this composition was passed down to Burgess with no knowledge of its author or origin. Since this year, Burgess has served as the titular carillonneur – one of the fewer than 30 people in the area skilled in playing the bell tower’s mechanism – and this is the first melody he has been asked to learn.The first sequence is a montage of the melody played by Burgess himself from the bell tower. The second, however, is a contemporary, experimental adaptation of the melody that seems to de-catholicize it. This middle sequence was recorded in the autumn of 2024 during live performances of “Carillon Sauvage,” a sculptural and sonic instrument created by Burgess to replicate the Martigny bell tower’s sound electronically, extending it beyond the confines of the tower. This adaption also contributes to the deculturalization of bell-ringing while fostering a new form of spirituality. The last sequence features a 1970s recording of the bell tower’s former carillonneur, Robert Terrettaz, performing the same tune.
The composition is shaped by a time-dilated presence, blending the sounds of the surrounding landscape into the work. From the persistent hum of the city and the mechanical noise of his new instrument, to the distant whir of a helicopter, the carillon of Martigny has remained unchanged for centuries, even as its sonic environment has continually evolved. With the purpose of interrogating this dual state, withTrois Martinets Burgess seeks to contribute to the development of Alpine Punk, a science-fiction sub-genre focused on the social, environmental, and spiritual concerns of the Alpine region. 

Recording credit : Beat Jaggy / Claire Frachebourg / Christophe Burgess / Gérard Leiggener
Photo credit: FINIStud for Carillon Sauvage
Anaël Antille for the portrait photo

Christophe Burgess

(b. 1989, Switzerland) After his theater training at the Haute École des Teintureries in Lausanne, Christophe Burgess continued his Master’s training at EDHEA in Sierre (École de design et haute école d’art du Valais). Since 2019, he has designed and staged several immersive shows, including Homo Solaris (current collective la Nef), Brainwaves (RGB Project), SorcyerXes (collective A La Source) and Connecté (Yann Lambiel). Since 2024, he has ventured into sound creation with Carillon Sauvage. Seeking to create new narratives that allow us to project ourselves into a desirable future, he explores the possibilities of transformation between Alpine heritage and new technologies. He is currently developing a new science-fiction narrative framework: Alpine Punk. The three projects Carillon Sauvage, Les Enfants du Rhône and Alpine Chaos are all part of the same artistic research.