Erland Cooper releases a single, ‘A Nightingale Sings Outside Our Window’.

The two tracks, including an instrumental version, are available as a download, with all proceeds going to Black Minds Matters UK.

The specially commissioned piece features over 300 field recordings sent to Chris Hawkins’ BBC Radio 6 Music programme, alongside a 130-year-old recording of the voice of Florence Nightingale plus Galya Bisengalieva (solo violin), Robert Ames (solo viola) and Paul Weller.

The recordings, made by listeners to Hawkins’ show, are sounds and observations that have felt more noticeable during lockdown from birdsong, from garden sprinklers to a baby’s hiccup, each working within the piece to mark this very unique time. You can also see a ‘making of’ film.

The track follows the recently release of ‘Hether Blether‘ – the third and final album in Cooper’s triptych of albums shaped by the Orkney islands where he grew up.

Chris Hawkins said of the project: “I’m a long-time fan of Erland’s, he has an amazing way of working magic with sound. Listener’s to my show responded in their droves to our request for their isolation sounds, which he then weaved into this soundscape.

“It feels like a hopeful musical snapshot full of aural moments, reminding everyone that everyday sounds – that may usually go unnoticed – can lift our mood and help us feel better.”

More at erlandcooper.com