I am looking for the same thing. What about bamboo?

Bamboo springs to mind instantly, as Great suggested. The variety Hibanobambusa gets 10 feet, but will need a rhizome barrier if you want to plant in the ground. There is a variety of this one with variegated leaves called H. 'Shiroshima'.

I would definitely recommend Miscanthus giganteus, which grows almost like a bamboo and will reach 15 feet with ease. Not only does it make a very decorative grass in summer but in the autumn it has wonderful tassles of flowers and will then stand all summer.
In the spring, just clip it down to the ground ready to grow again. In fact, the 'canes' are almost as strong as bamboo and can be used as garden canes for many small plants; I even use them for my climbing beans.
The only problem would be removing it, as it makes extensive woody roots. I imagine you can spray it with glyphosate and wait for it to die and rot, but otherwise you might need a digger! Or a pickaxe and lots of energy!

Miscanthus x hybridus is similar but does not flower so no seedlings everywhere. Both of them are easier to remove than you would expect. Easier than bamboo, that is for sure. The roots are fairly shallow. Only caveat, do not plant anywhere near a plastic lined pond, they WILL pierce the membrane.
Also the stems are very hard to dispose of. I usually have to store them after pruning off (early Spring) for a few months to dry out before they can be shredded. Even then the shreddings do not rot easily. Good for long term mulching though.

I have clumps of Arundo donax in my shrubbery which make a lovely noise in the breeze.

many thanks your for your suggestions. The plant we saw in a garden was definitely not bamboo, so I will check the suggestions of Arundo donax and miscanthus :-)

any tall grass will make the noise you ask for like pampus grass or bamboos . i instead of a membrane have used the biggest black nylon buckets trees come in. i cut the bottem out and bury them leaving an inch proud so you can easily tell if shoots come over the top. there also good because they naturaly slope outwards towards the top making any new shoots do the same .