
Songs of Wild Birds
Beatific in its own right birdsong often ‘springs the catch of memory’ - like dandelion clocks drifting in the air, catching the sun ... [a] timeless immersion within a ‘spirit of place’ ...
Mistle Thrush from the Churchyard Yew - the piper at the gates of dawn. Black swift screaming jet-like across a cloudless blue sky, the afterburn of their passing an echo in the still air - a fine fresh spring morning. The gentle purr of Turtle Dove from a nearby copse - lazy hazy summer afternoons. Or the ever present song of Yellowhammer, singing when all others have ceased - the hayfield in the early evening.
red skies -
from wind-tossed trees
stormcock sing
in evens glow
yellowhammer sing
a last refrain
Above all, listening to the song of birds ... the setting, performance, variety, and musical quality, awakens a deep desire to extend and perpetuate their performance ... to experience again the pure joy and freedom evident in the birds own ‘joy of singing’ Rothenberg.
There were two masters of the recording and interpretation of birdsong in the 20th Century both seminal in their production, in different ways, of the soundscape of birdsong in the countryside: Ludwig Koch and Olivier Messiaen.
The work of Ludwig Koch (1881-1974) is remarkable in that it represents a pioneering attempt to document the natural sound world using recording technology.
During his lifetime, Koch devoted himself to collecting the sound phenomena he heard in the world around him. When he arrived in England in 1936, Koch began to travel all over the British Isles, capturing birdsong and the sounds of natural environments on wax discs before transferring these to shellac. This was a long and laborious process, often requiring hours or even days of observation of a particular bird before beginning to record its voice.
Koch’s first British recordings were published as Songs of Wild Birds in 1936, in partnership with the ornithologist E.M. Nicholson. This was followed by More Songs of Wild Birds in 1937. These unique collections combine textual descriptions of the songs and habitats of a variety of species, illustrations of the birds themselves and excerpts of their recorded songs and calls. Koch described Songs of Wild Birds as ‘the first sound-book of British birdsong’ – an early multimedia document that combines text, image and audio.
Here is a rather crackly recording by Ludwig Koch from 1936.
It is a singularly extrovert warbler, bursting high above the hedgerow with a scratchy burst of song, before diving back into the shelter of the hedge. It's almost as if he is saying 'look at me - here I am'.
the only sound ...
bursting from the hedge
a whitethroat
When I first heard his records I was immediately struck by the way in which they called up the natural environment of the singers. As the Nightingales voice escaped from its ebonite prison under the touch of the needle and the scientific magic of the sound-box, I felt myself transported to dusk in an April copsewood. The clear notes of the Cuckoo with their blend of clear spring feeling and irritating monotony, the Chaffinch's simple and cheerful strain, were equally evocative; and with the laugh of the Green Woodpecker (a triumph to have recorded this!), the yellowing July fields and darkening green of July woods were in the room.
So wrote Julian Huxley in his introduction to 'Songs of Wild Birds' by E M Nicholson and Ludwig Koch and published as a text with illustrations in the form of sound, by H.F.& G Witherby Ltd in 1936.
sunshine ...
filling every room
the cuckoo’s call
What is remarkable about Koch’s recordings of birdsong is how skilfully he manages to isolate the songster within the recording, yet still captures elements of its surrounding environment - rather like a soloist performing to the backdrop of an orchestral accompaniment. This provides the listener with a clear sense of the habitat in which the featured bird lives: in other words, the recording presents a particular ‘soundscape’.
Birdsong fascinated Messiaen (1908 – 1992) a French composer, organist, and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His innovative use of colour, his conception of the relationship between time and music, and his use of birdsong are among the features that make Messiaen's music distinctive.
Olivier Messiaen, once described birds as “God’s greatest musicians”.
‘In my hours of gloom ... when I am suddenly aware of my own futility - what is left for me but to seek out the true, lost face of music somewhere in the forest, in the fields, in the mountains or on the seashore, among the birds.’
Here is an early work from 1952 - ‘Le merle noir’ for flute and piano; the flute piece based entirely on the song of the blackbird.
In his later works his evocations of birdsong become increasingly sophisticated, and with Le réveil des oiseaux reached maturity, the whole piece being built from birdsong: in effect it is a dawn chorus for orchestra.
The pieces are not simple transcriptions; even the works with purely bird-inspired titles, such as Catalogue d'oiseaux and Fauvette des jardins, are tone poems evoking the landscape, its colours and atmosphere. They are like musical pictures: designed to document a particular scene almost as faithfully as the sound recordings from which they take their inspiration.
Paul Griffiths, a British music critic, novelist and librettist, observed that Messiaen was a more conscientious ornithologist than any previous composer, and a more musical observer of birdsong than any previous ornithologist.
Playlist
Below is a playlist of some of my favourite memories of songs of wild birds ... Listen to them sing ...
The silvery descant of the first Willow Warbler and the joyful vibrant trilling tremolo of the Wood Warbler - a beechwood in early spring. The transcendent song of the Woodlark - more beautiful and harmonic to my mind than the Skylark - on the hillside of a wooded valley. Our very own garden flautist - the Blackbird - from the Maple shadowing the barn. The echoing voice-throwing call of the Cuckoo - from a copse across the fields. And a Nightingale in a canal-side wood at dimpsey.
Credits
The core content of this post, heavily edited and substantially revised, has been sourced from Wikipedia and the newspaper archives of the Guardian and Telegraph. Quoted references are cited in-line, except the two phrases - ‘springs the catch of memory’ and ‘the hayfield in the early evening’ - which were originally written in an essay called Character in Birdsong (1952-3) by Peter Adams and published by his daughter Jane Adams in her blog - used here within the terms of her stated use of copyright.
All the recordings of bird songs have been sourced from the archives of Xeno-Canto - a website dedicated to sharing bird sounds from all over the world, and used here under the terms of the Creative Commons Licences. The copyright rests with the individual sound recordist.
Postscript
... I was staying at a farmhouse in the New Forest, and on the side of the house where I slept there was a large arbor vitse in which a blackbird roosted every night on a level with my window. Now, every morning at half-past three this bird would begin to sing and go on repeating his song at short intervals for about half an hour. It was very silent at that time ; I could hear no other bird ; and the sound coming in at the open window from a distance of but five yards had such a marvellous beauty that I could have wished for no more blessed existence than to lie there, head on pillow, with the pale early light and the perfume of night-flowers in the room, listening to that divine sound.
Adventures with Birds - W H Hudson
To misquote W.H.Hudson - the bird’s song is “sunshine translated into sound”.
You may like to listen to this – Redstarts by Richard Garrett – a recording from his Weathersongs Project:
http://www.sundaydance.co.uk/Assets/WS_Audio/raw281004.mp3
Weathersongs volume 1: Days in Wales is an album of 14 short pieces of music derived, in real time, from the weather conditions in Southern Snowdonia on 14 different days over one year. Each track was electronically generated by a computer program connected to an electronic weather station at Richard’s home in the foothills of Cadair Idris, North Wales. This program uses data output from the weather station (wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure, humidity, rainfall) to compose music as conditions change.
To make the album, selected output from this installation, was recorded and edited to present the music within the confines of an audio-CD.
All the tracks on the album have common features: Temperature and Humidity provide bass drones; Air Pressure gives higher pitched accompaniment; while the Wind produces the lead voice whose pitch, intensity and phrasing all change as the wind shifts direction, ebbs and flows. Rain, when it rains, is heard as random percussive events (typically bells) whose statistical density changes with the rate of fall. When each track is edited, however, different timbres are applied to the music accentuating the character of the individual pieces/ days. Thus, the music ranges from the gentle ambient electronica of a cool spring morning to wild, almost Free Jazz, saxophone as the westerly gales of autumn hit Cardigan Bay.
Another example of mood music which evoke natural soundscapes ….
https://www.kevinkendle.com/mp3/cumulus.mp3
https://www.kevinkendle.com/mp3/altocumulus.mp3
https://www.kevinkendle.com/mp3/butterfly-meadow.mp3
Kevin Kendle is a musician and composer working in the field of haunting, atmospheric instrumental music.
He uses keyboards, synthesizers and samplers to create evocative soundscapes which are then layered with sounds of nature, which Kevin records near his home in the Hertfordshire countryside.
His music is inspired by nature and landscapes and is very suitable for any situation where a calming atmosphere is desired, such as aromatherapy, therapeutic treatments or relaxation in the home. The careful programming and selection of sounds give the music an organic, timeless feel.
Another beautifully crafted post, Clive. I love all the recordings!
I’m glad you like the recordings, Clare – I’ll have to include more in future posts. I was lucky enough to pick up the early recordings of Ludwig Koch at an Antiques Fair a couple of years ago – the original boxed sets complete with books and gramophone records (78rpm). Luckily I still have an old record player on which to play them!
How wonderful!
I have only once heard a nightingale – for several evenings running two years ago. By the time I had realised what I was listening to the bird had moved on. Listening to the recording in your post confirms what I had heard. Hopefully we will have another visit next year.
Sorry not to have replied sooner, Sandra but we’ve had a few days holiday – there was no phone signal nor internet – where we were!
You were lucky to have heard a Nightingale – they have become quite rare. I hope you get to hear him again next year – they do tend to return to the same spot each year – and maybe you’ll even get to see it.
Next time – if there is a next time – I shall be prepared and know much sooner. It was here for several days while I listened and wondered before I dared to think it might be a nightingale. Fingers crossed! Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed your time away, Clive 🙂
The last time I heard a nightingale singing was in an Oxfordshire canal side wood – must have been late ‘70s. Where did you hear yours singing, Sandra? It wasn’t Penlee by any chance – that is as good a spot in Cornwall as any to hear a male singing in May. I’d love to know if you hear him again next year.
Clive, I heard him from here – from the house. (Inland, about 3 miles from Bodinnick.) Our house is set on the side of a small valley which has a stream and many trees running along the bottom. The area overall is mostly farmland. Standing outside the house, looking across the valley, I heard it several nights running, coming from below. If I hear it again next spring I shall certainly let you know 🙂
Sounds beautiful, Sandra. I can well imagine a Nightingale singing there ☺️
What a great post!! Sorry I missed it
Thanks Martin, I’ve been updating and tweaking some of my old posts – I hadn’t realised that new emails would be sent out – sorry! Glad you liked it anyway.
A good little read, which made me even more interested in aspects of Messiaen’s Catalogue … Thank you from Copenhagen.
Glad you liked it. You may find the following link of interest …
https://www.musicandpractice.org/volume-2/visualizing-visions-the-significance-of-messiaens-colours/
Of course you may already know of this – it’s a fascinating insight into his work.
Thank you – no, I didn’t know that one & will study it … 🙂
Clive, something’s gone wrong with my link to you so I’m going to unsubscribe you, leave it for a day or two and re-subscibe!
I’m sorry to hear that Ashley. I’ve been having a few problems my end as well. I hope you’ve been able to re-subscribe now. I haven’t posted much recently – having been sidetracked by some other writing projects but have a few posts in draft waiting to go …
Will retry soon. I too have not been posting much. Hope to see you soon.
Love the messiaen piece after I was introduced to it by a girlfriend i just started seeing. We walked in my Wood, and she is a composer
I think he takes a bit of getting used to Martin. His approach was what they used to call Avant Garde, I believe! When I’m writing late I often put one of his CDs on as background – I can’t sit back relax and listen to it. But hey what a genius.
Great use of sound recordings with haiku.
I’ve written two sub-song haiku and it was wonderful to find something on YouTube.
Beautifully done wildlife haiku by you!
warmest regards,
Alan Summers
Call of the Page
Thank you Alan. I’ve only recently come to writing haiku – rather late on in life – but have a lifetime of experiences to draw on. I’m especially glad you liked my use of birdsong with the haiku – I think reading it out loud whilst listening to the birdsong is quite effective, though I was worried that it may detract from the imagery of the haiku. I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few haiku published in the Wales Haiku Journal this year – ‘red skies’ being one of them. I’ve also tried my hand at writing haibun and most recently wrote a guest blog of derived haiku (after Colin Blundell) for the Richard Jefferies Society.
Haibun is an interesting hybrid of prose and haiku, and I’ve been nudging Joe Harkness in that direction.
Haiku, which is fairly modern, comes from hokku, which comes from renga and renku, and they are all about link and shift so that haiku can be combined with any other genre, including soundtracks.
Enjoy your multiple haiku journeys. Haibun is so popular that we had to create a new haibun course as the others had all sold out quickly! Keep at that genre, as well as standalone haiku too!
warm regards,
Alan
I found your ‘Series of haiku around birds and birdsong’ enthralling and instructive. I shall certainly persevere with my exploration of the genre in all its forms. I’m enjoying it. Thank you for your encouragement.
I have written a lot of haiku around birds. Having lived in Queensland, I forgot my knowledge of British Birds, and coming back I vowed to regain my schoolboy familiarity again.
I was delighted to gain Third Place in the American haiku contest with words such as rill and greenfinch! 🙂 The sounds communicated to the two judges without stating or telling.
Haiku and its companion genres of shahai, haibun, etc… are great for right and left brain exercise, as well as bringing an active joy to ourselves and others.
warm regards,
Alan
Call of the Page
I guess it’s because they are often named after their colours or songs or habit, so perhaps lend themselves to this. Like your one of ‘Chiffchaff’ …