How the Birds Started an Orchestra
| Type of post: | General Chorus Postings/Documents |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Dede Nibler |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Mon, Apr 22 2019 |
HOW THE BIRDS STARTED AN ORCHESTRA written by Andy Mitchell
One day a very, very long time ago, a young blackbird named Junior, woke up before dawn and heard songs of many of the birds.
"Tweet. tweet, tweeet, tweet, that's all I can hear and it's just a lot of noise".
"That's the way we all communicate", said his mum.
"Well it just sounds like a racket to me. I'm going to change all that".
His mum just shrugged and watched Junior fly over to a branch in a clearing where she could keep an eye on him.
"Now look here", he said, starting to talk to as many birds as he could gather together.
"Everyone can sing but when you all sing at once, it's just a lot of noise. If you let me do some organizing I think we can do much better".
He started making little groups and asked them to perch on branches depending on their voices and how loud they could sing.
His mum was worried thaat all the other birds would just laugh at him and was very surprised to see that they seemed to understand and wanted to work together.
After a little time, he had sorted the birds into five groups.
The first group was all his friends, the blackbirds and robins.
The second group was all the finches.
The third group was the tits and wrens.
The fourth was the doves and pigeons.
Finally, the last group was the woodpeckers.
"Now I want someone to be the conductor", and he went round the clearing asking who would volunteer.
"I'll do it", said the small blue tit.
"No, sorry you are too small".
"I can do it", cooed a very fat pigeon.
"No, you are much too fat".
Just then a big black crow landed high above them all.
"What are you all doing down there"? she cawed.
"Please come down, we want to ask you something", some of them called.
"I don't know about that, we crows don't; usually mess about with you small birds".
But curiosity got the better of her and she did as they asked.
"Now what we want to do is get a bit orgainised about out singing". said Junior, the young blackbird.
"What do you mean by organized"?
"Well we aren't too sure but we don't want to just make a big noise when we wake up, the way we all do at the moment. You crows are used to a lot of cawing, so maybe you can conduct these five groups and try to get us to make a better sound".
"Well, I'm not doing much today, so if you really think I can help, I will". and with that she flew to a dead tree stump in the middle of the five groups of birds.
"If we are really going to make this work, I need each group to give me an example of their singing".
Very soon the tits and wrens were trilling, the doves and pigeons cooing, the finches and sparrows were twittering.
"Now I need a big sound from you blackbirds and robins".
They all sang their loudest. Connie, the crow conductor, and Junior. the young blackbird, agreed that it was possible to make a better sound by bringing in the woodpeckers to fill in the shape of the music. They tried to organize them but woodpeckers are very independent and they kept coming in at the wrong time.
"This is hopeless". said Connie the crow, "I can't seem to get them to understand".
"Leave it to me." With that Junior joined the woodpeckers and gave them a lecture about helping to improve the whole performance.
There was a lot of head nodding, something woodpeckers do a lot, but they began to get the message.
Connie gave it one last try, and...
All the different songs began to come together in a beautiful melody and beautiful harmony.
Ever since that day so long ago, when birds wake up and just before they go to sleep they make this wonderful music together, which they call the Dawn Chorus and Evensong.
xo Dede
One day a very, very long time ago, a young blackbird named Junior, woke up before dawn and heard songs of many of the birds.
"Tweet. tweet, tweeet, tweet, that's all I can hear and it's just a lot of noise".
"That's the way we all communicate", said his mum.
"Well it just sounds like a racket to me. I'm going to change all that".
His mum just shrugged and watched Junior fly over to a branch in a clearing where she could keep an eye on him.
"Now look here", he said, starting to talk to as many birds as he could gather together.
"Everyone can sing but when you all sing at once, it's just a lot of noise. If you let me do some organizing I think we can do much better".
He started making little groups and asked them to perch on branches depending on their voices and how loud they could sing.
His mum was worried thaat all the other birds would just laugh at him and was very surprised to see that they seemed to understand and wanted to work together.
After a little time, he had sorted the birds into five groups.
The first group was all his friends, the blackbirds and robins.
The second group was all the finches.
The third group was the tits and wrens.
The fourth was the doves and pigeons.
Finally, the last group was the woodpeckers.
"Now I want someone to be the conductor", and he went round the clearing asking who would volunteer.
"I'll do it", said the small blue tit.
"No, sorry you are too small".
"I can do it", cooed a very fat pigeon.
"No, you are much too fat".
Just then a big black crow landed high above them all.
"What are you all doing down there"? she cawed.
"Please come down, we want to ask you something", some of them called.
"I don't know about that, we crows don't; usually mess about with you small birds".
But curiosity got the better of her and she did as they asked.
"Now what we want to do is get a bit orgainised about out singing". said Junior, the young blackbird.
"What do you mean by organized"?
"Well we aren't too sure but we don't want to just make a big noise when we wake up, the way we all do at the moment. You crows are used to a lot of cawing, so maybe you can conduct these five groups and try to get us to make a better sound".
"Well, I'm not doing much today, so if you really think I can help, I will". and with that she flew to a dead tree stump in the middle of the five groups of birds.
"If we are really going to make this work, I need each group to give me an example of their singing".
Very soon the tits and wrens were trilling, the doves and pigeons cooing, the finches and sparrows were twittering.
"Now I need a big sound from you blackbirds and robins".
They all sang their loudest. Connie, the crow conductor, and Junior. the young blackbird, agreed that it was possible to make a better sound by bringing in the woodpeckers to fill in the shape of the music. They tried to organize them but woodpeckers are very independent and they kept coming in at the wrong time.
"This is hopeless". said Connie the crow, "I can't seem to get them to understand".
"Leave it to me." With that Junior joined the woodpeckers and gave them a lecture about helping to improve the whole performance.
There was a lot of head nodding, something woodpeckers do a lot, but they began to get the message.
Connie gave it one last try, and...
All the different songs began to come together in a beautiful melody and beautiful harmony.
Ever since that day so long ago, when birds wake up and just before they go to sleep they make this wonderful music together, which they call the Dawn Chorus and Evensong.
xo Dede
