When blackbirds learn to sing

Nighttime on Still Waters

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After a blustery week of wild, mad, March weather, why not join us tonight as we enjoy a sunny moment beside the canal and contemplate on the powerful word-play of some very old Celtic bards.

Journal entry:

17th March, Friday

“The sun is warm
To the west the clouds are Prussian blue
Like mountains of the imagination.
A woodpecker laughs
From somewhere across the fields
Which fill with lambs
And the sound of young
Calling to old.
A branch hangs whose scars are unhidden.”

Episode Information:

In this episode I read extracts from the following poems:

Amergin Glúingel: ‘The song of Armergin’

Taliesin: ‘An Unwelcome crowd.’

In also briefly refer to the following:

Miles Hadfield’s (1950) An English Almanac published by JM Dent and Sons.
Alexandra Harris’ (2015) Weatherland published by Thames and Hudson.
Hana Videen’s (2022) The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English published by Princeton University Press.

With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.

Mary Keane.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory and MJ.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mike and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith

General Details

In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.

Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.

All other audio recorded on site.

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Contact
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For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters

You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

Capitoli

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Journal entry (00:00:46)

3. Welcome to NB Erica (00:01:19)

4. News from the moorings (00:02:00)

5. Miles Hadfield on March (00:02:10)

6. Alexandra Harris 'Weatherland' (00:03:40)

7. Hana Videen on 'Wordhoard' (00:04:49)

8. Tuesday Morning, 5.30am (00:07:45)

9. Cabin chat (00:13:29)

10. When blackbirds learn to sing (00:15:11)

11. 'The Song of Amergin' (00:15:18)

12. Taliesin 'An Unfriendly Crowd' (Extract) (00:25:31)

13. Taliesin 'An Unfriendly Crowd (2nd extract) (00:28:22)

14. Signing off (00:30:44)

15. Weather Log (00:30:59)