Digital Download Catalogue — Natural Soundscapes (Section 1)
— Wind Chimes in the Wild

Classified listing

Wind Chimes in the Wild

Selected chimes ensembles and solos at Half-Speed!

Hear these chimes as you've never heard them before! In 2018 I took extracts from a selection of exceptional recordings already on albums listed above and experimentally processed these to reduce their speed to half the original value, and thus their pitch by a full octave.

The results were astonishing in their mass of invigorating aesthetic surprises and by their sheer musicality. Even the slowed-down birds came across much more musically, often giving the impression of being proper musical protagonists in the chimes ensembles, and eerily placing their utterances where they keyed in with the chimes sounds in such a way as to sound as though this was a musical work that I myself had composed in every detail.

In the half-speed versions you hear all manner of details and nuances both in the chimes sound and the birdsong, which normally would pass more or less unnoticed.

My only big regret about all my half-speed versions is that when I made the original recordings I wasn't thinking ahead enough. If I had been, I'd have made all my chimes recordings at 96K sampling rate, so that the half-speed versions would have had a much better top frequency range.

…And now, Nature-Symphonies burst upon the scene!

As a natural development from half-speed versions, in 2023 I eventually got a hunch to try using software to place one of my half-speed versions into a virtual cathedral — and what a can of worms wonders I opened up by doing so! Listen to any of the resultant Nature-Symphonies so far completed, at Freesound or on my YouTube channel.

Read Descriptions
Listen to the recordings at Freesound

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• Pluto wind chimes high up in Teign Gorge

  6 November 2012

  My very first chimes recording, made on a somewhat isolated stunted tree a little east of Sharp Tor, by the Hunter's Path, high up on the north side of the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.
  
  Chimes used:
  
  Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (tuned to a sunny-sounding pentatonic scale)

  — 12'

  
  Recording code: 121106_r1-01

• Olympos and Pluto wind chimes high up in Teign Gorge

  6 November 2012

  So sad-sounding! You'd think the sunny-sounding Pluto chime would counter the melancholy of the Olympos chime, but instead the Pluto's effect is now transformed and not sunny at all, but like a commentator on the Olympos chimes sadness, as in a Greek tragedy play!

  Chimes used:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (tuned to a sunny-sounding pentatonic scale)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (tuned to a melancholy-sounding Ancient Greek scale)

   — 27'

  
  Recording code: 121106_r1-02

• Olympos wind chimes near Sharp Tor, high up in Teign Gorge

  14 November 2012

  The melancholy sound of Woodstock Chimes of Olympos tuned to an Ancient Greek scale, a little east of Sharp Tor, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. — 18'

  
  Recording code: 121114_r1-02

• Olympos, Gregorian & Pluto wind chimes high up in Teign Gorge

  14 November 2012

  A particularly beautiful-sounding trio of wind chimes, a little east of Sharp Tor, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

  Chimes used

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (relatively high-pitched, on a sunny-sounding pentatonic scale)
  2. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (tuned to a melancholy-sounding Ancient Greek scale)
  3. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (tuned to an upbeat-sounding Gregorian Chant scale)

   — 35'

  
  Recording code: 121114_r1-05

•  Olympos & Gregorian wind chimes high up in Teign Gorge

  14 November 2012

  A particularly beautiful-sounding wind chimes duo at a reasonably secluded spot at Sharp Tor, by the Hunter's Path, high up on the north side of the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

  Chimes used

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (tuned to a melancholy-sounding Ancient Greek scale)
  2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (tuned to an upbeat-sounding Gregorian Chant scale)

   — 36'

  
  Recording code: 121114_r1-06

• Bamboo and Pluto wind chimes at Sharp Tor, Teign Gorge

  21 November 2012

  Joyful airy rustic rattling and scuttling of bamboo wind chimes, with delicate sunny pentatonic metal chimes, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

  Chimes used:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (fairly high-pitched, pentatonic)

  2. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (rather indeterminate tuning, with a touch of whole-tone scale — bought cheaply at local store)

   — 35'

  
  Recording code: 121121_r1-03

• Bamboo and Gregorian wind chimes at Sharp Tor, Teign Gorge

  21 November 2012

  Joyful airy rustic rattling and scuttling of bamboo wind chimes, with bright and upbeat-sounding metal chimes, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

  Chimes used:

  1. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (tenor) (tuned to a bright-sounding Gregorian chant scale)

  2. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (rather indeterminate tuning, with a touch of whole-tone scale — bought cheaply at local store)

   — 36'

  
  Recording code: 121121_r1-04

• Bamboo, Pluto and Gregorian wind chimes at Sharp Tor, Teign Gorge

  21 November 2012

  Joyful airy rustic rattling and scuttling of bamboo wind chimes, with two bright and upbeat-sounding metal chimes, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

  Chimes used:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (tuned to a sunny-sounding pentatonic scale)

  2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (tenor) (tuned to a bright-sounding Gregorian chant scale)

  3. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (rather indeterminate tuning, with a touch of whole-tone scale — bought cheaply at local store)

  — 28'

  
  Recording code: 121121_r1-05

• Pluto and Gregorian wind chimes at Sharp Tor, Teign Gorge

  21 November 2012

  Two bright and upbeat-sounding metal chimes, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

  Chimes used:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (tuned to a sunny-sounding pentatonic scale)

  2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (tenor) (tuned to a bright-sounding Gregorian chant scale)

   — 33'

  
  Recording code: 121121_r1-06

• Gypsy and bamboo wind chimes, high up in Teign Gorge

  28 November 2012

  Haunting and often intense-sounding Gypsy chimes a little way above the Hunter's Path, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK.

  Chimes used:

  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Chimes, Soprano (Eastern European Gypsy scale, higher)

  2. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Chimes, Mezzo (Ditto, lower)

  3. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (rather indeterminate tuning, with a touch of whole-tone scale — bought cheaply at local store)

   — 26'

  
  Recording code: 121128_r1-02

• Gypsy Mezzo and bamboo wind chimes, high up in Teign Gorge

  28 November 2012

  So doleful! — Haunting Gypsy Mezzo chimes a little way above the Hunter's Path, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. The Gypsy Mezzo was the largest, lowest-sounding and most ponderous in action of all my chimes at that time.

  For the most part natural sounds are very sparse, but at least this recording is graced by a little nature drama in which a couple of blackbirds either have a little spat, or possibly sense a potential predator nearby and end up uttering their alarm calls for a few minutes.

  Chimes used:

  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Chimes, Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale, lower range)

  2. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (rather indeterminate tuning, with a touch of whole-tone scale — bought cheaply at local store)

   — 27'

  
  Recording code: 121128_r1-04

• Gypsy and Pluto wind chimes in a GALE, high up in the Teign Gorge

  30 Jan 2013

  Tumultuously wild and exhilarating! A wind chimes ensemble in a gale, in the western end of Drewston Woods, just below the Hunter's Path, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. We're sheltered from most of the wind, but gale-force gusts come over the top of the hill, chasing and roaring through the treetops and giving us an interesting time!

  Chimes used:

  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Chimes, Soprano (Eastern European Gypsy scale, higher)

  2. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Chimes, Mezzo (Ditto, lower)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (Pentatonic, with a rather 'major' sound)

   — 39'

  
  Recording code: 130130_r1-01

  • Half-speed! Gypsy and Pluto wind chimes in a GALE

    30 Jan 2013

    A tumultuously wild and exhilarating experience as I never heard it then! Half-speed version of the above recording — 39'

    
    Recording code: 130130_r1-01-halfspeed

• Gypsy wind chimes high up in the Teign Gorge

  6 February 2013

  Music of the Spheres Gypsy Chimes, Mezzo and Soprano, just below the Hunter's Path, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK, with some nice strong wind gusts. A weirdly melancholy sound. — 36'

  
  Recording code: 130206_r1-01

• Gregorian wind chimes high up in the Teign Gorge

  6 February 2013

  Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (tenor), just below the Hunter's Path, high up in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK on a bright and very breezy day. A bold and amusingly pretentiously upbeat sound! — 31'

  
  Recording code: 130206_r1-03

• Gregorian wind chimes beside River Teign near Drogo Weir

  6 February 2013

  Three short recordings put end-to-end, of Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) heard through the boisterous sound of the River Teign just a little downstream of Drogo Weir in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. Peaceful and relaxing. — Recommended as a sleeping aid. — 48'

  
  Recording code: 130206_r1-04+05+06

• Gypsy Soprano wind chimes beside River Teign near Drogo Weir

  6 February 2013

  Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano wind chimes heard through the boisterous sound of the River Teign just a little below Drogo Weir in the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. The Eastern European Gypsy scale sounding from this chime imbues the rushing water sound with an air of mystery. The chimes are quiet initially, and at times throughout, though becoming overall a little more active later on. When they are quiet, their sound is buried in the weir sound, so you hear just teasing hints of the chimes sound, colouring the continuous rushing sound, and challenging the listener's own creative imagination to produce its own 'rushing water music' — 11'

  
  Recording code: 130206_r1-07

• Bamboo wind chimes at Hunter's Tor, Teign Gorge

  18 February 2013

  Invigorating late winter breeze with the airy dry rattling and sonorous bonkings of the bamboo chimes, quite exposed on the narrow Hunter's Tor ridge at the west end of the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. — 26'

  
  Recording code: 130218_r1-01

• Airy wind chimes quintet at Hunter's Tor, Teign Gorge

  18 February 2013

  Invigorating late winter breeze with two bamboo and three metal wind chimes, quite exposed on the narrow Hunter's Tor ridge at the west end of the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. Chimes used:

  Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (eastern European Gypsy scale, lower)

  Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (eastern European Gypsy scale, higher)

  Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (pentatonic scale, middling-high)

  Bamboo, large and small set (purchased cheaply from local store)

   — 76'

  
  Recording code: 130218_r1-02+r3

  • Half-speed! Airy wind chimes quintet at Hunter's Tor, Teign Gorge

    18 February 2013

    Half-speed version of part of 130218_r1-02+r3. Haunting 'suspended in mid-air' sounds from two bamboo and three metal wind chimes, quite exposed on the narrow Hunter's Tor ridge at the west end of the Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. — 48'

    
    Recording code: 130218_r1-02+r3-halfspeed

    The following four items are processed variants of the above (all the same duration), with progressive increments of cathedral acoustic.
    Each in its own way has a hauntingly beautiful quality that has been described by others as deeply inspired and even 'genius', and has a sense of some compelling and purposeful underlying storyline. For a deeply aware and sensitive person any of these would likely be a really strong and inspiring musical experience.

  • Half-speed! Airy wind chimes quintet at Hunter's Tor — Cathedral-1 (close)

    18 February 2013

    This cathedral version has the chimes placed in quite close foreground, so they sound relatively 'dry', but with a fairly subtle degree of cathedral reverberation filling the background. This is like what I experienced in or close to the public performance area in Exeter Cathedral when I was singing in Exeter choirs many years ago. We have the clarity of the original half-speed version, but with a sense of greater depth and enhanced beauty that seems to enhance that clarity. It already has more sense of some underlying purpose or story that it's seeking to tell.

    
    Recording code: 130218_r1-02+r3-halfspeed-cath-close

  • Half-speed! Airy wind chimes quintet at Hunter's Tor — Cathedral-2 (distance+1)

    18 February 2013

    Here the ensemble is somewhat further back, so that the reverberations are more obvious.

    
    Recording code: 130218_r1-02+r3-halfspeed-cath-distance+1

  • Half-speed! Airy wind chimes quintet at Hunter's Tor — Cathedral-3 (distance+2)

    18 February 2013

    This is where the ensemble is far enough away that the reverberations start to dominate the overall sound. There's much less sense of the original natural soundscape, and one has entered another world entirely.

    
    Recording code: 130218_r1-02+r3-halfspeed-cath-distance+2

  • Half-speed! Airy wind chimes quintet at Hunter's Tor — Cathedral-4 (distance+3) (Nature-Symphony 1)

    18 February 2013

    The ensemble is now as far away as I'd have it. The effect is freakily other-worldly, with the chimes now not really recognisable as wind chimes — the metal ones sounding like a spooky distant organ, and the bamboo chimes suggestive of some of Harry Partch's home-made bamboo percussion instruments. Because we've left-behind the sense of the original natural soundscape, it now seems that musicians are playing the instruments in complex probabilistic patterns, much as Iannis Xenakis achieved in many of his works. One big difference between his and my approach is that, generally speaking, he often created probabilistic structuring that emulated aspects of 'Mother Nature', while I've allowed the latter to be my starting point and indeed the probabilistic processes generator.
    
    That description may suggest a dry and academic work, but the reality is that for any deeply aware and sensitive person this particular sort of objective, probability-determined 'auto-structuring' opens up deeply inspiring pathways in that person's awareness, in inspiring and empowering ways that no other music can do — and indeed significantly improves brain function (flexibility and motivation to explore new ground, so maximizing quality of life).

    This version marks the beginning of my whole series of Nature Symphonies, which I decided to classify as part of my oeuvre of public 'opus-number' music compositions. My Wind Chimes in the Wild project could well be said now to have come of age!

    For the current full list of the Nature-Symphonies, please go to Freesound.

    
    Recording code: 130218_r1-02+r3-nature-sym1

    Note that the continuing series of Nature-Symphonies being listed not here but on my music compositions site.

• Gypsy and bamboo wind chimes in Teign Gorge, early spring

  5 March 2013

  Use of both mezzo and soprano Gypsy chimes evokes a weirdly beautiful elemental sort of intense melancholy, to which the large and small sets of bamboo chimes, with their dry, woody, rustic knocking and rattling tones are an uplifting foil, as also are the occasional bits of early spring birdsong.

  Chimes used:

  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (eastern European Gypsy scale, lower)

  2. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (eastern European Gypsy scale, higher)

  3. Bamboo chimes, large and small set (purchased very cheaply at a local store)
  
  — 29'

  
  Recording code: 130305_r1-03

• Gypsy and Pluto chimes beside River Teign near Teign Gorge

  5 March 2013

  Very peaceful, but also with a strange melancholy! Gentle babbling of River Teign as it runs through a line of copse between fields as it approaches the so-called Teign Gorge (Drewsteignton, Devon, UK), but also with wind chimes giving a weirdly strong melancholy to the proceedings, albeit in a most beautiful manner. Bird sounds are mostly robin.
  
  Chimes used:
  
  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (eastern European Gypsy scale, lower)
  
  2. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (eastern European Gypsy scale, higher)
  
  3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (pentatonic scale)

  — 23'

  
  Recording code: 130305_r1-10

• Half-speed! Gypsy and Pluto chimes beside River Teign near Teign Gorge

  5 March 2013

  Half-speed extract from normal-speed recording. Very peaceful, but also with a strange melancholy! Gentle babbling of River Teign as it runs through a line of copse between fields as it approaches the so-called Teign Gorge (Drewsteignton, Devon, UK), but also with wind chimes giving a weirdly strong melancholy to the proceedings, albeit in a most beautiful manner. Bird sounds are mostly robin.
  
  Chimes used:
  
  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (eastern European Gypsy scale, lower)
  
  2. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (eastern European Gypsy scale, higher)
  
  3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (pentatonic scale)

  — 38'

  
  Recording code: 130305_r1-10-halfspeed

• Pentatonic wind chimes with sea / birds backdrop, near Boscastle

  1 June 2013

  From a south-west facing cliff edge on Firebeacon Hill, near Boscastle, Cornwall, UK, we eavesdrop on seabirds on the very close-by Long Island, while serenaded from behind by Woodstock Chimes of Pluto, with their vividly colourful high-pitched pentatonic sound. The latter does readily get into repeating sequences as the chimes' wind-catcher swings around in circles, but every time the sound seems to have a new freshness and radiance. — 43'

  
  Recording code: 130601_r1-02

• Polaris wind chimes, with majestic sea breakers hitting cliffs near Land's End

  5 June 2013

  Woodstock Chimes of Polaris on clifftop, with backdrop of large Atlantic waves majestically rolling in, proudly thundering as they break, and hitting the cliff with great eruptions of spray and often clearly audible lengthy splashdowns — lengthy because of the height reached by many of those eruptions. — 61'

  
  Recording code: 130605_r1-05

• Duo of pentatonic wind chimes with sea near Gwynver, near Land's End

  19 June 2013

  Close to a very rocky section of the coast path between Cape Cornwall and Sennen Cove — between Aire Point and Gwynver, we listen to a duo of chimes both tuned to the pentatonic scale, but to different modes based on it. For me this radiant sound always evokes rainbow colours. We're on the edge of a cliff that is only about a couple of metres high, so we hear the waves of the quite gentle sea clearly breaking on the rocks here without the usual din.  The wind was gentle too, so the chimes activity feels tuneful rather than dramatic.

  Chimes used are:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (middling-high pitched, pentatonic)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

   — 41'

  
  Recording code: 130619_r2-01

•  Woodstock Chimes of Mars on Firebeacon Hill, near Boscastle

  25 June 2013

  Up here in this exhilarating location the shrill high tones of the Woodstock Chimes of Mars, in a very light breeze, make striking, imposing and indeed monolithic pronouncements, against a backdrop of sea sound way down below, with some distant seabirds (mostly on / around Short Island). Somehow, in this particular hilltop context it chimes in (sic) beautifully with the surroundings. The lightness of the breeze means relatively few notes sounding, sparing the ears from too much of this shrill sound. It gives me the feeling that it deserves a bell-tower to pronounce from — sadly I haven't funds for one of those! — 30'

  
  Recording code: 130625_r1-02

• Wind chimes quartet on clifftop near Pendeen — Pluto, Polaris, Mercury, Mars

  17 July 2013

  High-pitched sweetness of sound against a sea background in a fascinating and atmospheric setting.

  Chimes used are:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (high-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

   — 37'

  
  Recording code: 130717_r1-02

  • Half-speed! Wind chimes quartet on Cornish clifftop — Pluto, Polaris, Mercury, Mars

    17 July 2013

    Half-speed version of part of previous item. High-pitched sweetness of sound against a sea background in a fascinating and atmospheric setting, now heard an octave lower.

     — 30'

    
    Recording code: 130717_r1-02-halfspeed

• Wind chimes trio on Cornish clifftop — Pluto, Polaris, Mercury

  17 July 2013

  High-pitched sweetness of 'rainbow colours' sound against a sea background in a fascinating and atmospheric setting. To me the pentatonic scale is usually strongly suggestive of rainbow colours.

  Chimes used are:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (high-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

   — 43'

  
  Recording code: 130717_r1-03

  • Half-speed! Wind chimes trio on Cornish clifftop — Pluto, Polaris, Mercury

    17 July 2013

    Half-speed version of part of previous item. High-pitched sweetness of 'rainbow colours' sound against a sea background in a fascinating and atmospheric setting, now heard an octave lower. To me the pentatonic scale is usually strongly suggestive of rainbow colours. — 38'

    
    Recording code: 130717_r1-03-halfspeed

• Strange chimes! — Gypsy chimes plus four small Woodstock ones in Teign Gorge

  10 December 2013

  Mysteriously exotic: a beautiful and powerfully evocative combination of musical scales, given pungency by an embedded dissonant interval (major seventh and its octave expansion), hanging over the Teign Gorge on a mild afternoon in early winter…

  Chimes used are:

  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy chimes, Soprano and Mezzo versions (On an Eastern European Gypsy scale; relatively loud and penetrating, especially the Mezzo)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

  5. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

   — 40'

  
  Recording code: 131210_r1-01

  • Strange chimes, half-speed! — Gypsy chimes plus four small Woodstock ones in Teign Gorge

    10 December 2013

    Mysteriously exotic: a beautiful and powerfully evocative combination of musical scales, given pungency by an embedded dissonant interval (major seventh and its octave expansion), hanging over the Teign Gorge on a mild afternoon in early winter…

    Chimes used:

    1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy chimes, Soprano and Mezzo versions (On an Eastern European Gypsy scale; relatively loud and penetrating, especially the Mezzo)

    2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

    3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

    4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

    5. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

     — 40'

    
    Recording code: 131210_r1-01-halfspeed

• Strange chimes! — December rural afternoon quietude

  10 December 2013
  

  Very quiet soundscape, with little wind now to drive the chimes, yet this is a beautiful 'atmosphere' piece, including a section where a herd of cows in a nearby hilltop field get mooing as the farmer comes to bring them their next load of feed.

  Chimes used:

  1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy chimes, Soprano and Mezzo versions (On an Eastern European Gypsy scale; relatively loud and penetrating, especially the Mezzo)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

   — 40'

  
  Recording code: 131210_r1-05

• Rustic sound of bamboo chimes in frisky breeze high in Teign Gorge

  2 January 2014

  bamboo chimes, hung up on trees high up in the Teign Gorge on a very breezy day. These are unbranded cheap locally purchased items but still do a sterling job here although no doubt more expensive precision-made ones would have sounded a whole lot better. The rustic, even 'primitive' sound of the bamboo tubes rattling and scuttling, with a hint of whole-tone scale in their very approximate tuning, has its own invigorating appeal. — 51'

  
  Recording code: 140102_r1-03

• Quartet of smaller wind chimes with bamboo chimes, in Teign Gorge

  2 January 2014

  A captivating sweet-sounding quartet of high-pitched metal chimes pitted against the earthy rattlings of bamboo chimes, hung up on trees high up in the Teign Gorge on a very breezy day. Chimes used this time are:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

  5. Bamboo chimes, large + small (cheap unbranded, locally purchased; both sets always used together)

   — 46'

  
  Recording code: 140102_r1-01

  • Half-speed! Quartet of smaller wind chimes with bamboo chimes, in Teign Gorge

    2 January 2014

    Half-speed version of part of Quartet of smaller wind chimes with bamboo chimes, in Teign Gorge, the chimes hung up on trees high up in the Teign Gorge on a very breezy day. At this lower speed it's like wandering through an idyllic labyrinth. Chimes used this time are:

    1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

    2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

    3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

    4. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

    5. Bamboo chimes, large + small (cheap unbranded, locally purchased; both sets always used together)

     — 38'

    
    Recording code: 140102_r1-01-halfspeed

• Trio of pentatonic wind chimes with bamboo chimes, in Teign Gorge

  2 January 2014

  A trio of my smaller wind chimes (all the pentatonic ones) with bamboo chimes, in Teign Gorge, the chimes hung up on trees high up in the Teign Gorge on a very breezy day. This use of the pentatonic scale always suggests to me the musical equivalent of rainbow colours. Chimes used this time are:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

  5. Bamboo chimes, large + small (cheap unbranded, locally purchased; both sets always used together)

   — 50'

  
  Recording code: 140102_r1-02

  • Half-speed! Trio of pentatonic wind chimes with bamboo chimes, in Teign Gorge

    2 January 2014

    Half-speed version of part of a trio of my smaller wind chimes (all the pentatonic ones) with bamboo chimes, in Teign Gorge, the chimes hung up on trees high up in the Teign Gorge on a very breezy day. This use of the pentatonic scale always suggests to me the musical equivalent of rainbow colours. Chimes used this time are:

    1. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

    2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

    3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)

    4. Bamboo chimes, large + small (cheap unbranded, locally purchased; both sets always used together)

     — 36'

    
    Recording code: 140102_r1-02-halfspeed

• Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Olympos, Gregorian, Pluto, Polaris, Mercury

  19 March 2014

  A 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally ambiguous? Chimes used this time are:

  1. Woodstock Olympos Chimes (relatively low-pitched, an Ancient Greek scale)

  2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (relatively low-pitched, a Gregorian chant scale)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  4. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

  5. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)

   — 38'

  
  Recording code: 140319_r1-06

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Olympos, Gregorian, Pluto, Polaris, Mercury

    19 March 2014

    Half-speed version of part of a 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally ambiguous? Chimes used this time are:

    1. Woodstock Olympos Chimes (relatively low-pitched, an Ancient Greek scale)

    2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (relatively low-pitched, a Gregorian chant scale)

    3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

    4. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

    5. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)

     — 38'

    
    Recording code: 140319_r1-06-halfspeed

• Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Gregorian, Pluto, Polaris, Mercury, Mars

  19 March 2014

  A 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally ambivalent? — See further below for some degree of explanation. Chimes used this time are:

  1. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (relatively low-pitched, a Gregorian chant scale)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)

  5. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

   — 38'

  
  Recording code: 140319_r1-05

• Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Olympos, Pluto, Polaris, Mercury, Mars

  19 March 2014

  A 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally ambivalent?
  Chimes used this time are:

  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched, Ancient Greek scale)

  2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

  3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)

  5. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

   — 38'

  
  Recording code: 140319_r1-04

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Olympos, Pluto, Polaris, Mercury, Mars

    19 March 2014

    Half-speed version of part of a 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally ambivalent? — See further below for some degree of explanation. Chimes used this time are:
    
    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched, Ancient Greek scale)
    
    2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)
    
    3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)
    
    4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
    
    5. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!) — duration'

    
    Recording code: 140319_r1-04-halfspeed

• Extraordinary sextet of wind chimes — Gregorian, Olympos, + smaller chimes

  19 March 2014

  An enigmatic 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally ambivalent?
  Chimes used this time are:
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched, Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (relatively low-pitched, a Gregorian chant scale)
  
  3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)
  
  4. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)
  
  5. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
  
  6. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)
  
  — 39'

  
  Recording code: 140319_r1-03

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary sextet of wind chimes — Gregorian, Olympos, + smaller chimes

    19 March 2014

    Half-speed version of part of an enigmatic 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally ambivalent? — See further below for some degree of explanation. Chimes used this time are:
    
    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched, Ancient Greek scale)
    
    2. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (relatively low-pitched, a Gregorian chant scale)
    
    3. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)
    
    4. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)
    
    5. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
    
    6. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

    Note that in this case the octave-lower pitch resulting from the half-speed has caused a dramatic change in emotional effect. Instead of a complex, apparently bright and optimistic atmosphere, we have a complex intensely serious melancholy and longing (i.e., of an elemental, archetypal character rather than the expression of any individual's emotion). — 38'

    
    Recording code: 140319_r1-03-halfspeed

• Extraordinary quartet of wind chimes — Olympos + pentatonic chimes

  1 April 2014

  A real 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so beautiful yet sounds so sad?
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched, Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (pentatonic)
  
  3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)
  
  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
  
  — 38'

  
  Recording code: 140401_r1-03

  • Half-speed! — Extraordinary quartet of wind chimes — Olympos + pentatonic chimes

    1 April 2014

    Half-speed version of part of a real 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so beautiful yet sounds so sad?
    
    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
    
    2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (pentatonic)
    
    3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)
    
    4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
    
    — 38'

    
    Recording code: 140401_r1-03-halfspeed

• Extraordinary wind chimes duo — Olympos + Mars chimes

  1 April 2014

  A real 'Wow!' wind chimes duo hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so beautiful yet sounds so sad?
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (high-pitched; not sure what the scale is!)
  
  Puzzlingly, a strong emotional atmosphere that I pick up from this duo's sound is that of a pervasive deep melancholy or sadness — though not as intense and profound as when pentatonic chimes are combined with the Olympos. — 38'

  
  Recording code: 140401_r1-04

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary wind chimes duo — Olympos + Mars chimes

    1 April 2014

    Half-speed version of part of a real 'Wow!' wind chimes duo hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so beautiful yet sounds so sad?
    
    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
    
    2. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (high-pitched; not sure what the scale is!)
    
    Puzzlingly, a strong emotional atmosphere that I pick up from this duo's sound is that of a pervasive deep melancholy or sadness — though not as intense and profound as when pentatonic chimes are combined with the Olympos. — 39'

    
    Recording code: 140401_r1-04-halfspeed

• Extraordinary wind chimes trio — Olympos, Polaris, Mercury

  1 April 2014

  a real 'Wow!' wind chimes trio hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so beautiful yet sounds so sad?
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (fairly high-pitched, pentatonic)
  
  3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched, pentatonic)
  
  — 39'

  
  Recording code: 140401_r1-05

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Gregorian, Pluto, Polaris, Mercury, Mars

    19 March 2014

    Immensely beautiful and melancholy! Half-speed version of part of a recording of a 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign  Gorge — but how come it's so emotionally loaded? — See further below for some comment. Chimes used this time are:

    1. Woodstock Gregorian Chimes (Tenor) (relatively low-pitched, a Gregorian chant scale)

    2. Woodstock Chimes of Pluto (moderately high-pitched, pentatonic)

    3. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (higher-pitched, pentatonic)

    4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)

    5. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (very high-pitched and penetrating; not sure what scale!)

     — 38'

    
    Recording code: 140319_r1-05-halfspeed

• Extraordinary wind chimes duo — Olympos, Polaris

  1 April 2014

  A real 'Wow!' wind chimes duo hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so beautiful yet sounds so sad?
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (fairly high-pitched, pentatonic)
  
  — 38'

  
  Recording code: 140401_r1-06

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary wind chimes duo — Olympos, Polaris

    1 April 2014

    Half-speed version of part of a real 'Wow!' wind chimes duo hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge — but how come it's so beautiful yet sounds so sad?
    
    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
    
    2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (fairly high-pitched, pentatonic)
    
    — 39'

    
    Recording code: 140401_r1-06-halfspeed

• Extraordinary trio of wind chimes — Gypsy, Olympos

  15 April 2014

  A real 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge:
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale)
  
  3. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (ditto, but lower, and in different mode on that scale) — 38'

  
  Recording code: 140415_r1-01

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary trio of wind chimes — Gypsy, Olympos

    15 April 2014

    Out of this world! — Half-speed rendering of part of the full-speed original:

    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)

    2. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale)

    3. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (ditto, but lower, and different mode on that scale)
     — 38'

    
    Recording code: 140415_r1-01-halfspeed

• Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Gypsy, Olympos, Polaris, Mercury

  15 April 2014

  A real 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge:
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (high-pitched pentatonic)
  
  3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
  
  4. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale)
  
  5. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (ditto, but lower, and different mode on that scale) — 30'

  
  Recording code: 140415_r1-02

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary quintet of wind chimes — Gypsy, Olympos, Polaris, Mercury

    15 April 2014

    Half-speed rendering of part of the full-speed original:
    
    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
    
    2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (high-pitched pentatonic)
    
    3. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
    
    4. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale)
    
    5. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (ditto, but lower, and different mode on that scale) — 39'

    
    Recording code: 140415_r1-02-halfspeed

• Extraordinary sextet of wind chimes — Gypsy, Olympos and others

  15 April 2014

  A real 'Wow!' wind chimes ensemble hung up from trees high up in the Teign Gorge:
  
  1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
  
  2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (high-pitched pentatonic)
  
  3. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (high-pitched, not sure what scale, but different from all the others)
  
  4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
  
  5. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale)
  
  6. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (ditto, but lower, and different mode on that scale) — 57'

  
  Recording code: 140415_r1-04

  • Half-speed! Extraordinary sextet of wind chimes — Gypsy, Olympos and others

    15 April 2014

    Half-speed rendering of part of part of the full-speed original:
    
    1. Woodstock Chimes of Olympos (relatively low-pitched Ancient Greek scale)
    
    2. Woodstock Chimes of Polaris (high-pitched pentatonic)
    
    3. Woodstock Chimes of Mars (high-pitched, not sure what scale, but different from all the others)
    
    4. Woodstock Chimes of Mercury (very high-pitched pentatonic)
    
    5. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Mezzo (Eastern European Gypsy scale)
    
    6. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (ditto, but lower, and different mode on that scale) — 39'

    
    Recording code: 140415_r1-04-halfspeed

Chimes ensembles and solos at Half-Speed!

Hear these chimes as you've never heard them before! In 2018 I took extracts from a selection of exceptional recordings already on albums listed above and experimentally processed these to reduce their speed to half the original value, and thus their pitch by a full octave.

The results were astonishing in their mass of invigorating aesthetic surprises and by their sheer musicality. Even the slowed-down birds came across much more musically, often giving the impression of being proper musical protagonists in the chimes ensembles, and eerily placing their utterances where they keyed in with the chimes sounds in such a way as to sound as though this was a musical work that I myself had composed in every detail.

In these half-speed versions you hear all manner of details and nuances both in the chimes sound and the birdsong, which normally would pass more or less unnoticed.

My only big regret about all my half-speed versions is that when I made the original recordings I wasn't thinking ahead enough. If I had been, I'd have made all my chimes recordings at 92K sampling rate, so that the half-speed versions would have had a much better top frequency range.