The Green Kingdom ~ The Great Blue Heron

Michael Cottone (The Green Kingdom) writes, “we are lucky enough to live near a protected Rookery for Herons.  With this piece, I tried to capture the scale, elegance and mystery of this magnificent bird”.  Dear Michael, we are somewhat jealous that you are able to watch these birds whenever you’d like, because most of us don’t live near rookeries.  But this being said, we’d like to know: what does a great blue heron sound like?

The attraction of the Birds of a Feather series to date has been the incorporation of specific bird sounds.  All too often in ambient music, we hear the sound of birds, but the layperson has no idea how to distinguish the species, which reduces the potential allure. The Great Blue Heron is the first impressionistic entry of the series; no obvious field recordings are included. Perhaps this is because the great blue heron, as majestic as it may be, does not make a pretty sound – like a beautiful person with an unattractive voice, sometimes nature has a way of evening things out.

Yep, that’s a great blue heron.  The sound is suggested through synthesized warbles (5:13) and micro-seconds of distortion.  At times (8:58 for example) we hear the sound of what could be a great blue heron, hiding in the marsh of the music.  But sadly, no personal appearance.  In order to enjoy this piece, one first must overcome this disappointment, and recall that most of the famous classical bird-based performances took the exact same path, imitating the sound of birds via flute (for birdsong) or string (reflecting flight).  Cottone may be following in their footsteps; perhaps he is simply stating that the elegance of the heron is its primary feature, and does not wish to distract us with its croak.

The Great Blue Heron is a relaxing piece, growing from a gentle drone to a whisper.  Tiny electronic touches are added like pinpoints, making this the most subdued of The Green Kingdom’s works to date.  Vinyl static creates sweet textures, while acoustic guitar lends the piece a soft magnetism.  Notes are echoed, then withdrawn.  The project sounds a lot like birdwatching: patient, restrained, respectful.  It doesn’t exactly suggest a great blue heron – gawp!  croak!  waak! – but it does bring to mind a quiet wonder.  (Richard Allen)

Available here