The Promised Land of the Saints

An archaeology of belief
"So shall it always remain, without any shadow of night."
Saint Brendan, "Navigatio"

A 43-minute radio feature exploring the ancient 6th-century Chronicle of St. Brendan in a Newfoundland soundscape, using contemporary sounds and voices. Part whimsy, part serious, it takes the Proustian view that memories are embodied in physical objects and sets out to find traces of St. Brendan’s paradise in present-day reality.

This "radio archaeology project" excavates the chronicle of Saint Brendan in the 21st century with the help of Marcel Proust and modern sound recording equipment.

Written and produced by Chris Brookes for RTE Dublin
First broadcast by Radio Telefis Eireann Nov. 26, 2003