Confluence

Birdsong and Music

Some of the earliest surviving music emulates bird calls such as the familiar song of the Cuckoo. It is perhaps only to be expected that musicians would be inspired by the seemingly spontaneous melodies casually thrown off by a creature which has always exerted a strange fascination. The romance and mystery which birdsong evokes has also drawn people in: music making for humans is a conscious creative act, for birds it is a fact of life - a fact pulled dramatically into focus by recent research showing that species' breeding habits are at risk due to their courtship songs being drowned out by excess traffic noise.

Confluence explored the mystery of birdsong in a unique and magical way. May Day bank holiday in 2000 provided an opportunity for an activity at once celebrating the occasion, and also the birds of the river, whose dawn chorus songs are an emotive indicator of the change of season. We collaborated with the rangers of the Stour Valley Project, and the Springhead Trust at Fontmell Magna to produce a memorable event connecting the sounds of nature with music.On a beautiful morning, the rangers lead two 5.00 am walks through the idyllic grounds and environs of Springhead, where the Stour tributary the Collyers Brook rises, to hear the dawn chorus and to aid identification of the birds and their songs.Breakfast followed at Springhead house, an old mill, and at 8am participants enjoyed a concert from Watershed who performed music from their repertoire, improvisations with the birds outside, and three new pieces by Karen Wimhurst inspired by the bird sounds: Dabchick, Sedge Warbler, and Swan. Angela King and Karen had met with bird sound recordist Kyle Turner based in the valley, who kindly lent some of his excellent recordings to help Karen in her work. She played some of these with an explanatory talk as a preface to Watershed playing each piece.The event was encouragingly well attended considering the early start, and was warmly reviewed in the local press.

Read the short piece on Birdsong and Music by Darren Giddings which was featured in the programme of this concert.