The 10-day forecast for Algonquin Park in
(central) Ontario is for a spring warming trend
to between 5 & 8=B0C daytimes. Heading out for a
conference there, presenting with the man who
coined the word, "soundscape," R. Murray Schafer,
on the 21st, and to see what the soundscape is
like during the early transition period. Any
thoughts or advise, anyone?
BTW, for those recordists who haven't read the
20th C bible of sound, Schafer's Tuning of the
World, this is a must-read. With a narrative that
flows like a fine novel, this piece, written in
1977 when Schafer was at Simon Fraser University
(Vancouver), anticipates nearly every aspect of
what has evolved with our understanding of the
soundscape and its impact - especially on our
comprehension of the voices of the natural world
as biophonies. To me, Schafer is the Darwin, the
DaVinci, the Franklin, and the Archimedes of
sound all wrapped in one. Not only that, he's my
favorite contemporary classical composer, having
written some of the most evocative pieces of the
late last century and early 21st.
One piece, an opera titled The Princess of the
Stars, takes place at a lake bordering Algonquin
Park and begins at 4:30AM. The instrumentalists
from the Toronto Symphony are hidden in the woods
surrounding the lake. The audience is on the
shore. The lead soprano first appears on a small
barge with an interior lit blue wolf that emerges
from the first dawn light. The orchestra and
singers are cued and conducted by the late summer
bird voices as they begin to sing during the dawn
chorus. Schafer has scored the piece so that it
is somewhat flexible regarding weather and bird
voice entrances. His physical scores, themselves,
are some of the most beautiful renderings I've
ever seen - kind of like 13C manuscript
illuminations. It'll happen again at the end of
August this year. http://www.patria.org/ No
recordist worth their proverbial salt should miss
this event. It's an opportunity as rare as the
sighting of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Shafer
is well-known and greatly admired for his efforts
in nearly every country of the world - except the
US, where he is virtually unknown.
Bernie
>Still desperately searching for signs of spring here at 56N 120W. It's bee=
n
>a long, cold winter. Although warm air has pushed up within a few hours
>drive (resulting in 10C/50F temps) we're still suffering through daily hig=
hs
>of -18C...as well as at least 3 ft of snow pack. Supposed to get above
>freezing tomorrow, however.
>
>Some birds ignore the temperatures and are responding to the increased day
>length - Black-capped Chickadees sing frequently on sunny days; woodpecker=
s
>have been drumming, and the Pine Grosbeaks have started to sing, rather th=
an
>just calling.
>
>David's comment about the hybrid zone of chickadees was interesting. This =
is
>the (only?) contact zone of Mourning and MacGillivray's Wablers and
>Townsend's & Black-throated Green Warblers. There are similar questions of
>hybrids, song sharing, etc. Researchers from southern BC universities will
>be investigating. Of course, those birds won't be back here for another 2
>1/2 months!
>
>If I can dust off the MD recorder, I'll try to capture some 'spring' sound=
s.
>
>Mark Phinney
>
>
>on 3/5/07 11:17 AM, Rich Peet at wrote:
>
>If you are like me you watch spring like a hawk.
>This weekend with the clear after the snow we are now getting the mate
>calls of Northern Cardinal and Slate-backed Junco.
>The homestead yesterday from 45.0 N in MN at
>http://home.comcast.net/~richpeet/snow.jpg
>
>Tell us about your state of spring, or fall.
>
>Rich
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>"Microphones are not ears,
>Loudspeakers are not birds,
>A listening room is not nature."
>Klas Strandberg
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
--
Wild Sanctuary
P. O. Box 536
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
t. 707-996-6677
f. 707-996-0280
http://www.wildsanctuary.com
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