Nights by firelight and owl song
June 13, 2021

Fractured Beauties of the Night

The hold of early summer along the canal-side grows firmer each day. However, sometimes the changes and shifts in the season can affect us in surprising and sometimes disconcerting ways. This episode reflects on the birth of the idea that would eventually become the Nighttime on Still Waters podcast, and a reflection on radio and encounters in the night-time.    

Please note that this episode discusses mental health. 

Journal entry:

“13th June, Saturday

The lowering sun is now caught in the feathery tops of the ash trees on the bank. 
 Lone islands of cloud cast adrift on a sea of blue.

The light catches the deep drifts of ox eye daisies making their white petals shine.

I sit in the dappled sunlight drinking in the cooling breeze and watch the gnats dance on wings made of silver fire.”                 

Episode Information

During the podcast a read a passage from Charlie Connelly's (2019) The Last Train to Hilversum: A journey in the search of the magic of radio.  Bloomsbury Publishing.

I also read extracts from  Seán Street’s (2013) The Poetry of Radio: The colour of sound published by Routledge  
 
 

General Details

In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.

Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence. 

Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.

All other audio recorded on site. 

Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:

I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com