Representing Birdsong is a collaborative project inspired by birdsong, between sound and visual artist Lucy Stevens and tabla player Rishii Chowdhury.

The Swithland Wood Recordings has been created as a digital print, onto a 12 inch record sleeve and pressed vinyl, featuring illustrations of native birds, their songs and trees from Swithland Woods in Leicestershire. The soundtracks were captured using field recording techniques (with support from Geoff Sample) and feature birdsong and musical compositions inspired by birdsong.

Stevens and Chowdhury have come together to explore the magnificent sounds of bird vocalisations, including the variations in pitch, repetition and duration. The sounds of native birds have influenced the artists involved, by fusing field recordings, musical improvisation and drawing techniques.

The soundtracks feature classically trained musicians Rishii Chowdhury (tabla) and Roopa Panesar (sitar), responding to birdsong, with an additional track featuring a live recording of Rishii performing the tabla in the woods, responding to birdsong. The main inspiration for one of the rifts was the 'Coo Coo Cooo' of the Wood Pigeon and the loud call of the Green Woodpecker. 

A short film has been created to document the process of the project and reveal the various stages of creating the work (see the foyer area show reel).

I would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for their generous support towards this project: Rishii Chowdhury, Bill Newsinger, Geoff Sample, Roopa Panesar, Terry Forryan and Lyndall Phelps, Leicester Print Workshop, LCB Depot, Embrace Arts, Leicester City Council and Dub Studio and Senol printing.
For more information please visit: www.representingbirdsong.wordpress.com or stay in touch via Twitter @lucyjstevens #birdsongtabla. This project was supported by Arts Council England's National Lottery-funded Grants for the arts programme.

Birdsong and music composition by Rishii Chowdhury (tabla) and Roopa Panesar (sitar), 2014

These recordings were made by members of the Australian Wildlife Sound Recording Group during a weekend workshop in regional Victoria.

Each recording documents the same 2 minute sequence during the dawn chorus, with recorders/microphones in proximity to each other. Recording rigs range from simple and inexpensive to hi-end equipment, and this edit allows them to be compared, with a brief silence between each recorder. 

1. Sound Devices MixPre6-2, with DPA4060 omnis (Vicki Hallett)
2. Zoom H6, internal mics @ 120º (James Harris)
3. Sound Devices 702, with pair of Sennheiser MKH20s in SASS array (Andrew Skeoch)
4. Sound Devices 702, with pair of Sennheiser MKH60s in pistol grips, hand held (Andrew Skeoch)
5. Zoom H4N, internal cardoids (Melinda Barry)

awsrg.org.au

Info

5 field recording rigs compared

21st Century Swing

Please listen through headphones to experience the binaural effect.
This is an example of the sonic context of the Sfera (2018) ambisonics installation where sound beams emit from the IKO 3D Audio speaker. It is a processed fog signal sound provided by Geoff Sample, recordist of the Foghorn Requiem(2013) performance.

Binaural Fog Signal Harmonics

Self-titled debut full-length by Grey Tapes.
Written and performed by Grey Tapes (Rob Blazey, Niall Calderon, Ryan Collins, Calum Howard, Dan Potter).
Produced by John Martindale at Blank Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne.

06. Something New

A small flock of about 10 adults and young diving for fish and calling offshore at Hauxley Northumberland in late July.

Roseate tern

On the 27th of february 2001, a blizzard swept into Northumberland on the north wind, dropping a good foot of snow. The wind was strong enough to plaster the trees with the snow and brought down several large branches of conifers and one old tree: how I would have liked to have recorded the thunderous crack when that tree went.

At the time we were living in a remote cottage by a wood, close under the Cheviot hills: over the next four days we had no electricity and temperatures were about -5C during the day, dropping to -15C overnight. School was out; Jane, myself and our two young children slept in the living room by the open fire. Darkness came early and candlelight is not great for reading, so cards and charades were the evening’s entertainment. I warmed up by sawing wood and chopping logs during the day. The light was as intense and sparkling as the frost on several days.

We got power back on the Friday evening. Then suddenly on the Sunday  temperatures rose and a thaw set in. By the afternoon, lumps of ice were falling from the trees all around. This recording was made up in the wood at around 2pm. The clucks and clicks from the rook nearby blend so neatly with the icefall, it’s tempting to think that this is the bird’s response to the scene. But rooks make all sorts of weird sounds in their warbling songs at any time of year, so who knows.

concert of icefall and rook

Wildlife sounds from the North Pennines AONB, England.
Winner of the WSRS Documentary Contest 2018

concert of icefall and rook

Wildsong

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