Sound Stories: Series 3

Click on a date to listen to the show.

Programme 1: 6th September 2007
The Birds (1)
Regular contributor and Nature Recordist, Chris Watson, introduces his magnificent recordings of flocks of birds in motion at Budle Bay, part of his sound piece, No Man's Land. He also explores the strangely sped-up temporal world of our avian cousins, slowing down his recordings of the Wren to demonstrate the micro-symphonies this species can cram into an 8-second burst of song. Chris listens to birds whose sounds come strangely close to the insistent rhythms of dance music, the "techno-croaking" of the corncrake, the "drumming" of Snipe and the whirring of the Nightjar, recorded on the banks of the Zambezi river.

Recommended Sites
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Chris Watson - Click here
Touch - Click here
Forest, volume iv at Temple Bar Gallery & Studios - Click here

Programme 2: 13th September 2007
The Birds (2)
Bird sounds and the imagination. Playwright Melissa Murray and composer David Pickvance discuss their work on the recent BBC Radio 4 radio adaptation of The Birds by Daphne du Maurier. Melissa traces the connections between literature and birdsounds, from The Iliad to Virginia Woolf. David describes his music and sound design for The Birds, explaining how a couple of leather gloves and the right microphones can produce the terrifying sound of an avian attack on a Cornish homestead. Pianist, conductor and composer, Joanna MacGregor, tells us about Olivier Messiaen's fascination with birdsong, showing how he advanced upon the work of previous composers like Beethoven and Vivaldi, when incorporating birdsong into his scores.

Programme 3: 20th September 2007
Broken Record
In this episode of sound stories we look at some of recording history's great broken records - 78's, LPs and CDs with compelling flaws. Pianist Karishmeh Felfeli talks about Glenn Gould's unusual habit of humming in studio, while Dublin musician Si Schroeder explains a sudden bleep on his album, Coping Mechanisms. James Inverne, editor of Gramophone and Andrew Rose of Pristine Audio tell the story of the late British pianist, Joyce Hatto, whose recordings were in part falsified by her producer-husband William Barrington Coupe. Also composer David Pickvance explains the attraction of "glitch" music in electronica.

Programme 4: 27th September 2007
The Funky Drummer
With the advent of sampling in hip hop, copyright disputes have been a constant element of modern music. Professor Lawrence Ferrara of New York University describes his work as an expert witness, defending artists like the Beastie Boys and Notorious B.I.G. Also, Sound Stories eavesdrops on a conference in New York entitled "Comedies of Fair Use" where the sampling debate is explored by Professor Ferrara with Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky, Hank Shockley from Public Enemy and scholar, activist and filmmaker, Kembrew Macleod.

Programme 5: 4th October 2007
Extreme Nature Recording
Chris Watson rejoins Sound Stories to play his amazing recordings of extreme nature, from the "Let's Go" rumble of the African Elephant, to the distinct signature sounds of the world's oceans and his titanic recordings of the Vatnojokull glacier.

Programme 6: 11th October 2007
Le Focal Juste
Filmmaker, writer and photographer Bob Quinn explains the unique sound world of his films, from the powerful sound of Conamara Irish in his 1977 film POITÍN, to Bill Whelan's subtle score for the newly remastered version of the film.

Programme 7: 18th October 2007
The Birds (3)
The final part of our mini-series on the orchestral world of birdsong. Musician David Rothenberg, author of "Why Birds Sing", talks about the mimetic abilities of the superb lyrebirds of Australia, who learned and disseminated two popular folk songs from the human world. He describes jamming with a white-crested laughing thrush and tells the story of the song sparrow that burst into song after the departure of an unfaithful mate.

Programme 8: 25th October 2007
68 Beats Per Minute
New-York-based Composer and Choreographer John Moran describes how he builds his sound art for his avant-garde operas, and explains the idea behind his piece She Is On Her Bike, narrated by Uma Thurman, where everything happens at the tempo of 68 beats per minute.

Programme 9: 1st November 2007
Space Is The Place (Repeat)
Another chance to hear our PPI-Awards nominated programme, in which Luke examines real and imaginary sounds we associate with space, from the heart-beat of Laika the Russian space dog to the computer voice of HAL in 2001 A Space Odyssey. Science Author Dava Sobel (author of the bestseller, Longitude) traces the connections between music, sound and the planets. Broadcaster Tim Lehane reviews that remarkable release, the Voyager Interstellar Record.