Nick Penny

Composer and wildlife recordist Nick Penny celebrates the magic and importance of connecting with nature in a love letter to a short stretch of river near his Northamptonshire home.

Penny has walked the stretch of the River Nene for forty years. He says a chance encounter with a kingfisher on New Year’s Day inspired him to observe the water and the woods more closely. He looks back at a year by the river and his deeper connection with the sights and sounds of wildlife and the local history and landscape. He reflects on the importance of birdsong in a world of so much noise pollution and rediscovers inspirational nature writers of the past including Gilbert White and John Clare.

Penny set up a musical workshop and has used local birdsong in his own music recordings. He presented a programme on the science of sound for Channel 4, has written non-fiction books for children on musical subjects, and tours his World of Strings workshop to schools.