To The Best Of Our Knowledge Deep Time: Reclaim the Night
Sep 6, 2025
In this engaging conversation, British folk singer and conservationist Sam Lee, known for his nighttime concerts with nightingales, and writer Leigh Ann Henion, author of 5Night Magic,' explore the transformative power of darkness. They discuss unique nighttime traditions like silent walks in the woods, the emotional bonds humans share with nightingales through music, and the pressing need to reclaim our connection with nature amidst rising light pollution. Their reflections inspire listeners to appreciate the hidden marvels that the night holds.
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Silent Night Walks Reawaken Senses
- Sam Lee leads silent night walks where participants move without torches to invoke other senses and experience a different land personality.
- Participants, from elders to youngsters, become giddy and childlike as stillness and unfamiliar sounds reshape perception.
First Nightingale Concert Changed Everything
- Sam Lee recounts the first time he attempted to make music with a nightingale and felt a life-changing threshold open.
- That night convinced him people must experience singing with nightingales, so he began bringing audiences to those encounters.
Birdsong Mirrors Cultural Loss
- Sam Lee links the nightingale's solo, defiant song to the declining tradition of folk singers who are often the last of their kind.
- He sees parallels between vanishing human traditions and bird populations, mixing grief and reverence into his art.
