Flock of goldfinches singing in the foggy spring morning

Goldfinches Morning 11 - 3-16

Blackbird sings out its territory (or calls for a mate?) at sunset. Spot him in the treetop on the lower left!

Blackbird Evensong, 13 March 2016, Finstock, Oxfordshire

The morning springtime serenade of the 10+ mating frogs in our pond! Quite quiet, so turn your volume up...

Frog Morning Chorus, 15 March 2016, Finstock

Trad. via Steve Jordan.

According to Steve (my dad), the tune here is based on one learned from Cyril Tawney. He sang - we think - a version which Cecil Sharp collected in Somerset.

The lyrics are from Frank Purslow’s book "Marrow Bones" and were collected in Dorset in April 1906 by the Hammond brothers from William Miller of Wootton Fitzpaine. He called it ‘The Sheep-Shearing Song’.

More song info: https://mainlynorfolk.info/steeleye.span/songs/rosebudinjune.html

Rosebud In June

Learn to sing a really simple round in 3 part harmony. This old scout/guide song is fun and beautiful too! 3 easy parts to fit different voices and different ages. Have fun!

Miscellaneous Murmurations

Learn to sing a simple 3-part harmony round at home: 'You Can't Put Your Muck in Our Dustbin'

The gorgeous song of a song thrush in the evening, late April 2020, in the Cotswolds, UK.

This beautiful photo of a "Posing Song Thrush" is courtesy of Simon Chinnery via Wikimedia.

Song thrush: evening song, April 2020

Just another noisy morning at the office :)

Beautiful photo by: "Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom. Blackcap. Uploaded by snowmanradio, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31193932"

Cotswold Morning Chorus, April 2020: Eurasian blackcap, blackbirds, sheep, collared doves

Average evening hedgerow chat, with a warbler (Marsh?) taking centre stage, plus contributions from various inevitable neighbours.

Marsh warbler (?), chiffchaff, robin: Cotswolds birdsong, April 2020

My arrangement of my version of the Bedfordshire May Carol, inspired by the singing of Shirley Collins. With a gothic twist. Hope you like it. Happy Beltane!

Bedfordshire May Carol, Susanna Starling, May 2020

A gorgeous Irish tune in the "Unfortunate Rake" family (Roud 2). A young soldier has been cut down in his prime - just like the "baby" in St James Infirmary, with which the tune shares certain melodic similarities. What is the significance of the date though? Why did he meet with his downfall on 14th May? Well, on 14th May in 1660, King Charles II was named King of Ireland. He was Catholic, and following in the footsteps of the famously Protestant Oliver Cromwell. Could this soldier have been on the losing side..? I guess we'll never know... 

It's probably no coincidence that the opening two notes of each verse have the same interval as the iconic first two notes of The Last Post, known to most as the tune played at military funerals. 

Recorded at a secret, isolated location in the Cotswolds, 14 May 2020.

When I Was on Horseback

Folk singer, bassist & field recorder in rural west Oxfordshire / Cotswolds, UK

Susanna Starling

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