100 Suffolk Wood (part 11) – a new day

Full Episode description

Six strikes St Mary’s bell, and it’s a new day. A new woodland day, with time returned to normal. The wood pigeons coo it. The cow lows it. The buzzard whistles it and the rooks crow it, from the high tree tops. The cockerel crows it too. A new day, for this wood, just to be.

Footsteps? Someone! Steady strides. Wading boot deep into the forest pool, down, and into it through a flood bank of leaves. It’s the woodsman, come to tend the forest. Come to clear its tangles and fallen branches. But we think the woodsman’s come not just for work, but for a swim. A swim and a bathe in the forest’s atmosphere. Its still sense of emptiness, the rippling bands of peace between the trees. Its high vertical walls, of quiet.

To mark Radio Lento’s 100th episode, we wanted to share this, a special recording. It is the eleventh segment from the twelve hour overnight recording we made of an empty wood in Dedham Vale. Lento began at episode 1 with a 30 minute clip from this same segment, done back then as a test, to see if the whole idea might work. Thanks to everyone who’s listened and especially to those who’ve got in touch to tell us what Lento recordings mean to them. You’ve inspired us to make these 100 episodes, to keep searching for new places to record, and to develop better methods for capturing the essence of these natural places in detailed, spatial sound. 

Huge thanks to everyone who has made a donation too. Every pound goes towards the costs of Radio Lento, which is funded by us.