West Midland Bird Club

Wildsong, £10

Geoff Sample is, perhaps, best known for his various CD guides to bird song, issued by Collins, but he also releases recordings on his own label, Wildsong.

'Songbirds' (WHCD 0031) is aptly sub-titled 'The Beauty of Birdsong', and is easy to sit down and listen to, as one would with a recording of a string quartet or a folk ballad. Instead of the field guide approach (where a short burst of song from as many species of possible is played, with narration, to aid identification), this CD treats each bird as a maestro, allowing sufficient time for a more rounded appreciation of the musical qualities of the "performance". The eighteen passerines featured in the generous 73 minutes of playing time include such obvious choices as the Song Thrush, Nightingale, Robin, Blackbird and, of course, a delightful Skylark, plus various woodland warblers, and the somewhat surprising Dipper. The latter aroused a fair amount of curiosity in a Robin, which was feeding outside my window as a played the track! Occasional notes indicate points of interest (e.g. Starling: at 0′40″ he weaves in the clip clop of a hoses feet) and I would have liked more of these.

In a similar vein, 'Sharming' (WHCD 0024) takes its name from what Sample describes as the performance of grunts and pig-like squeals that make up the songs of water rails. The subtitle 'Wetland Soundscapes' and the impressive cover picture of a Bittern give a clue as to the contents, and it is that bird which opens the first track. If one were asked to invent a bird call, and came up with a Bittern's remarkable booming, one would not be taken seriously. The disc's nineteen tracks, totalling over 74 minutes, include a great many other bird species, ranging from the most common (Black-headed Gulls, Lapwing and Coot) to the rare and unusual (Spotted Crake, Snipe drumming and, of course, some sharming) and more warblers, this time those found in reeds and sedges. No prizes for guessing which species these are! The occasional intrusion from a woodland bird highlights the contrast between the various calls and songs. Also featured are frogs, toads and even the sound of a moth's wings.

'Wind Music' (WHCD 0042) again takes a similar approach, but to very different effect. Among its nineteen recordings are such curiosities as a moorland gate, wind in a keyhole and even a squeaky hide roof! There are bird-related tracks, too, with some delightful Curlews in the Cairngorms, Robin, Little Owl, Blackcap and Red Grouse, plus an uncredited Skylark on the opening track, but the over-arching theme, as the title suggests, is that wind is involved. The effect is sometimes moving and often intriguing, but this compilation required somewhat more of a "suspension of belief" to be appreciated as music. The disc has nineteen tracks and runs for 68 minutes. Unlike the other titles, this disc is supplied as a CD-R, (a recordable CD, as opposed to one onto which the sound is "pressed" during manufacture) which may cause problems in a very few older players.

The sound quality on all three discs is unbelievably good, as is the stereo separation, as flying birds pass overhead.

In conclusion, the first two releases will delight any music- or bird- lover, and particularly someone with a foot in each camp, while the third offers something for the more adventurous listener. All are affordable, either as gifts or for sheer self- indulgence.

These discs (and a cassette of 'Songbirds', for £7.50) and others can be ordered from Wildsong's website; for £10. Please mention the West Midland Bird Club if doing so. Sample sounds may be downloaded from an alternative site which also has detailed notes on each track.