Apr 21st, 2015

Broadcast Nightingales Live

By 38 Degrees team

In spring 1924 the BBC broadcast its first outdoors program: recording the song of a nightingale as it sang to the music of a cello. The broadcast was so popular the tradition continued each year until the Blitz.

Now, to highlight the plight of Britain’s declining nightingale population, 38 Degrees member Chris has started a campaign to bring back birdsong to British radio.

Here’s what Chris has to say:

“Everyone’s heard of the nightingale, but have you ever heard one sing? If it’s on your bucket-list, be quick. They’ve declined 90% in the UK, and only sing for a few weeks each spring, as males try to call down lady nightingales migrating overhead at night.

It’s a once heard, never forgotten experience. Some hear joy, some tragedy, some love, some sorrow. It inspired Chaucer, Keats and singers since; even the stony Lord Reith, who picked the Nightingale for the BBC’s first ever Outside Broadcast in 1924.

Singers, birders, local campaigners and even people called nightingale are lending their help. Nearly 1500 signed last year, and now we’re trying again and have reached 2,200: please help us by signing and sharing the petition, so each remaining live singing nightingale gets a friend to make its voice heard.

We believe that if enough of us ask the BBC, they’ll re-start the broadcasts. And if they did, and people took the time to listen, it might get the national attention needed to enable conservationists to act.”