Fife’s East Neuk Festival is asking the public to help in the creation of a ‘dawn chorus’ to be played at the festival’s finale on Sunday 7 July.
The recordings of the birdsong, which can be made on any recording device, including mobile phones, will then be played in the final concert to create what the organisers admit may turn out to be a ‘symphony or cacophony’…
The festival’s whole theme is birdsong – a sound which has inspired the work of composers such as Beethoven, Messiaen and Ravel.
‘In the back garden, in an urban park, by the seashore or in a nature reserve – birdsong can be heard in many places. We just need to listen,’ said festival director Svend Brown.
‘But we also need to be aware that the melodious sound of birds is nevertheless diminishing. The plight of nature and wildlife and its battle with humankind is in the news every day and the dawn chorus these days is nowhere near as raucous as it was.’
The completed chorus can be heard at the end of the closing concert of the East Neuk festival, which will be performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at 5pm at Cambo Barn.
Sound recordings can be sent in any file format to siobhan@eastneukfestival.com by 24 June 2013.
Emily Bray