Once I Heard

In 1963, Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring was published.  It imagined a world without the sounds of nature, a warning about the use of pesticides that were killing all kinds of wildlife, particularly birds.  Harmful pesticides were banned and many bird populations recovered but now many of our migratory birds are threatened again by habitat loss and climate change.

Many birds are close to the hearts of Canadians as our natural environment is part of our identity, the loon has a special place on our dollar coin.  The return of the migratory birds in the spring heralds the end of our cold, dark winter and the spring chorus can be heard even in our cities.

This piece is about the place of those bird songs in our lives and their potential loss.

Marnie Setka-Mooney and Kathryn Le Gros recorded this piece as part of a streamed outdoor concert in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada