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Book of the Week

The Great Animal Orchestra

Episode 3

Duration: 15 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 Extra

Read by Nigel Lindsay.

Why do giraffes vocalize in frequencies so low that we can't hear them with our ears alone? Why do anemones make sound? Did you know that ants can sing? Bernie Krause reveals the extraordinarily diverse sounds of earth's 'biophony'.

Bernie Krause is the world's leading expert in natural sound. He has spent the last 40 years recording ecological soundscapes and has archived the sounds of over 15,000 species - half of the wild soundscapes he has on tape don't exist anymore because of human actions.

In The Great Animal Orchestra he invites us to listen through his ears to all three as he showcases singing trees, contrasting coasts, and the roar of the modern world.

Written by Bernie Krause
Adapted by Polly Coles

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4. Show less

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