A Frontier in Depth is a 6.2 sound installation situated in the ancient ruins of Caerleon’s Roman Amphitheatre.

This expanded soundscape builds on Templum Terrarium (re-adapting the spectacle in imperial debris), composed using field recordings and contemporary interpretations of ancient instruments. The work, composed by Hannan Jones, features a newly commissioned poetic response by Dr Nat Raha.

Field recordings were captured by Hannan Jones throughout 2024 at the Caerleon Amphitheatre using the Geofón LOM, SOMA Laboratory Ether V2, Roland R-26 six-channel handheld recorder, and C-series contact microphones. Studio elements include the Yamaha Reface YC Electric Combo Organ and plastic panpipes processed through reel-to-reel tape loops at Green Door Studios, Glasgow.

The 40-minute composition plays on the hour, every hour, from 10am to 4pm daily. Designed in response to the landscape, the site, and its archeo-acoustic qualities, the work explores how sound can connect the past with the present and reimagine historical spectacle.

A Frontier in Depth is a collaboration with Artes Mundi and the National Roman Legion Museum, supported by Arts Council of Wales, Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, and CADW. Part of the Perspective(s) programme, it contributes to Wales’s Anti-Racist Action Plan with additional support from the Welsh Government.