The Fairground Noise

The travelling fairground is a part of the history and culture of many societies. In most cases it has evolved from a purpose of trade and business to offer pure fun, consisting of mechanical rides, shows and games. It has distinctive features such as a nomadic character, the borrowing of space, and the transforming of atmosphere and environment towards festival and excitement. The development and role of sound is a key part of the fairground, where volume, strange sounds, and cacophony take over from the regular sounds and compositions of everyday life. This paper develops a history and way of describing the fairground sound, and asks whether such noise and cacophony is permitted elsewhere.