North Wales

Even having travelled extensively around the world, I can say that Wales is one of my favourite places and to be more specific North Wales.

For me a house overlooking the Mawddach Estuary with views out to sea and back to Snowdonia would be perfect.  You don't have to choose between the mountains or the sea here.

Then there is the wonderful Cader Idris and the fact that regardless of which route you take to arrive at the mountain it is spectacular.

And then of course there is the whole Snowdonia National Park with its mountains and villages and rivers and valleys.

Dylan Thomas

If you like words and the sounds of words and the unusual combinations of words then Dylan Thomas fits the bill.  He did not Go Gentle into That Good Night but raged through his life leaving a body of work that includes poems, screenplays, short stories and longer poems for radio - he called these 'plays for voices' such as Under Milk Wood.

The Outing is my favourite short story.  I love the descriptions of the characters, the humour and the combination of sounds which mean that if you read it out loud you just can't help but use a Welsh accent.

He had a complicated love life and smoked and drank excessively.  He lived in England, in London for a time, and spent time in America, but he is best known for living at The Boathouse in Laugharne, which is now preserved as a museum.

The links here take you to, firstly, Philip Madoc reading The Outing in two parts.

Richard Burton Reading from the start of Under Milk Wood.



And finally Thomas himself reading A Child's Christmas in Wales.



The Dawn Chorus

One of the most serene and pleasing sounds is the dawn chorus of wild and garden birds.  Sit back and listen to the first clip.

This one has comments by the sound archivist at the British Library.

Sacred Harp Music

We discovered this sound when we watched Antony Mingella's wonderful film of Cold Mountain (in there with Top Films - fantastic performances by all of the cast and a great soundtrack.)

I knew nothing about Sacred Harp music and the wonderful harmonies from the Baptist tradition but this version of  'I'm Coming Home' shows exactly how it works.  The singers sing the sounds of the song first then when everyone knows the 'tune' the words are added.  This is the choir who sang for the soundtrack of the film rehearsing.  You can see more on the DVD extras if you have the film.  Get it if you don't.  It is a most unusual sound. 

You need to have the film to see the family in church singing this song - towards the start of the film.

Should also mention that the other songs on the soundtrack are also wonderful, many of them written by Jack White, from the White Stripes, who also appears in the film.

Pig Cam

Francis Bacon, Pig Cam, definitely makes me smile.  He carries a tiny camera and flies from a kite above interesting places and he has his very own viewpoint of the world and of us.