Four notes and the truth

A song by an Australian magpie, arranged by Glyn Lehmann

Photography by Michael Boundy

For several weeks now, just after sunrise, I’ve heard something that I’ve never noticed before. I’m used to hearing a chorus of Australian magpies welcome the new day with their beautifully complex songs. But now, one of these birds seems to have chosen a different path. Every morning the same simple melody. Four notes, preceded by two short grace notes. Perfectly in tune and in rhythm. Always the same.

As its cohorts express themselves in tandem with wondrous complexity, this lone voice off in the distance replies with its simple song, heard at 0:10 and 0:23 in this video. The bird on the left chooses not to participate in this particular conversation.

Is this radical individual simply a young bird learning the rudiments before launching into full-blown operatic aria mode? Or, as I prefer to imagine, is it a creature that has found its true voice. These four notes say everything it has to say. A unique voice, easily identifiable.

With so many voices around us with so much to say, I take heart from this bird. It seems content to sing its four notes for all to hear even when its peers are much more impressive and sophisticated. I’m sure if I was a magpie I would understand what these more elaborate voices were saying, but as a mere human I appreciate this individual for its ability to remind me every day to keep things simple and to find my own voice, as a composer and as a human.

The music

This magpie’s song has become such a part of my day that I couldn’t resist writing some music to accompany it. The melody is in C#major and perfectly in tune with A440. I haven’t altered the pitch or the timing, apart from the middle section where I separated the four notes into two shorter two-note fragments.

The title Four notes and the truth is based on the description of country music as ‘three chords and the truth’. In its own way this bird seems to have discovered its truth.

…more music

If you’re new here or you missed my previous post, you’ll find 30 minutes of my meditative orchestral music to accompany you gently into the new year and beyond.