Self Catering Cottages on the Land's End Peninsula

Delightful, Cosy Cottages on Cornwall's remote Penwith Moors

"Sea Sounds and Bird Song from the Isles of Scilly"

This atmospheric CD captures the unique ambience of these very special islands

It may seem strange that five islands only a few miles apart could each have an individual signature in sound, but rock formations, pebbles, birds and even the quality of the sand on the beach, all help convey the unique character of these magical places. The sound pictures painted by these tracks, each in its different way, forms an atmospheric tapestry of birdsong and distinctive ambient sound against the ever present but changing voice of the sea.

The tracks on this beguiling CD were recorded on the Isles of Scilly between 1988 and 1992, with the essential help and guidance of colleague and co-producer Rose Lambourn, herself an islander by birth. The idea of producing a publicly available version of the sounds arose during filming of the Scillonia Films production "Reflections on Scilly", which was released as a video in 1987 having been shot over the course of 1986/7 by camera-man Robin Kewell, directed by Rose and with myself as sound recordist and composer. The film was an independant production financed by Rose and her husband Mike Codd which stands as a valuable snapshot of island life at a time when many of the old ways were starting to change. As sound recordist for the film I became fascinated by the great variety of atmospheres heard at many of the outdoor locations visited, so that when filming finished, Rose and I made a series of sound recordings which were released as a set of five audio cassettes. These have now been digitally re-mastered and released as a 74 minute CD including material from each of the original cassettes. All tracks are stereo, and for the aficionado, originated using a Nagra IVS analogue recorder via a crossed pair of AKG C460B microphones with CK61-ULS capsules and custom built low noise pre-amps.

Short mp3 extracts from each track may be heard by clicking on a play arrow.
Track lengths are shown at the end of each track in minutes and seconds

Track 1 Tresco Abbey Gardens - Dawn Chorus 11:29
Track 2 St Martins Lower Town - Early ducks 10:45
Track 3 St Agnes - Above Santa Warna's Cove 07:29
Track 4 St Agnes - On the Gugh 07:03

Track 5 Samson Hill 10:59
Track 6 Bryher - Afternoon on Green Beach 10.23
Track 7 Samson - Overlooking Long Ledges 10:36
Track 8 Samson - Afternoon on South Hill 05:30

After much fruitless searching for a siutable cover image for the CD we are delighted that Kurt Jackson allowed us to use his painting “Samson and Long Crow from Apple Tree Bay” (© 2003 Kurt Jackson), for this purpose.
These tracks were not recorded specifically as bird recordings but to see a list of the many birds which may be heard on this CD, compiled by Mr Will Wagstaff, a resident of the islands, go to: Birds List
Total playing time: 1 hour 14 minutes
Price £9.99 each including postage & packing. To order, click the 'Buy Now' button at the bottom of the page

Recent unsolicited feedback from a happy customer: "We received this CD promptly and in excellent condition. This is a truly Magical CD. It is so relaxing! I would not hesitate in recommending to others." Angela Scott