WILDLIFE
A perfect dawn chorus A
wildlife enthusiast from Norfolk, who made a name for himself with his perfect 70-minute recording of an entire dawn chorus, has released a digital version to appeal to modern-day listeners. Andrew Flintham, a musician, music producer, voice-over artist and actor from Newton Flotman, hopes the new release will encourage listeners to appreciate and protect their natural surroundings, and says the birdsong recording, which is completely unsullied by noise pollution, offers a rare opportunity to feel completely immersed in nature. “Brecklands Dawn Chorus is a unique recording that was made in just one take, very early one morning in beautiful woodland in Norfolk,” he explains. “You can hear an array of birds, within an uninterrupted whole chorus, and for many of us who spend much of our time in front of computers, it offers a unique escape from our busy and stressful lives.
“Now the track has been digitalised, every moment of birdsong, from the blackbirds to the robins, is even sharper and clearer than it was before. You can even hear the sound of a muntjac deer in the vicinity and a bumble bee flitting past.” The track, which is available to download, will appeal to those who have felt drawn to nature during the pandemic, as well as others seeking stillness and calm during these stressful times. Even back in 1993, when the recording was first made by Andrew, capturing the pure sound of the dawn chorus without inadvertently picking up extraneous sound was challenging. "It took about nine takes before we finally achieved it. But it would be completely impossible to make a recording like this
today because there is just too much noise pollution. I have even spent time recording up in the Scottish Highlands, but on every occasion, when I listened back afterwards, I could hear a road or an airplane far away in the distance.”
*To download Brecklands Dawn Chorus visit brecklandsdawnchorus.bandcamp.com
43
