The Nightingale

Notes on a songbird

Sam Lee

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An illustrated miscellany of the nightingale, perfect for nature and bird lovers

The rather plain, brown nightingale is a secretive bird that reveals its greatest treasure after dark: its song. The male has, on average, 250 different phrases, which it spontaneously brings together in songs that are unique in each composition. Its rich timbre and wide range has inspired poets, musicians and artists for centuries. Immerse yourself in the folklore, history and ornithology with this illustrated story of the enigmatic bird.

Praise for Sam Lee's Singing with Nightingales:

'A master storyteller' Patrick Barkham, author of Islander and Badgerlands forGuardian'An unmatched spring experience for folk fans, bird enthusiasts and all those in between' The Times

'The experience struck me so deeply that I have struggled since to put it into words . . . beautiful and necessary' New Statesman

'Bravely inventive . . . the nightingale has become a symbol of resistance, thanks largely to Sam' Guardian

Published: 4 March 2021
ISBN: 9781473577411
Imprint: Cornerstone Digital
Format: EBook
Pages: 240

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About the author

Sam Lee

Sam Lee is a Mercury Prize-nominated and BBC Folk Award-winning singer, conservationist and curator. Trained in fine art but with a lifelong passion for wilderness studies and nature connection, Sam is a folk music specialist dedicated to collecting, sharing and interpreting ancient oral music from Britain and Ireland. He has combined these interests through his ‘Singing with Nightingales’ annual springtime concert series.

His singing has been heard in films and TV shows, from Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword to Peaky Blinders. Sam was musical director for the RSPB’s 2019 Top 20 birdsong single, ‘LetNature Sing’ and his 2020 album Old Wow garnered five-star reviews. He has lectured at Goldsmiths, SOAS and Oxford University and was the first folk singer to teach at the Royal College of Music.

Praise for The Nightingale

Wondering and wonderful. The nature book of the year.
John Lewis-Stempel

Sam Lee has brought the poetic magic that has long enchanted so many of his musical fans into the written word. Allow yourself to glimpse the world Sam sees, to be part of his love affair with the nightingale, and you will no doubt be delighted.
Lily Cole