Singing Like Larks - A celebration of birds in folk songs

Singing Like Larks opens a rare window onto the ancient song traditions of the British Isles, interweaving mesmerising lyrics, folklore and colourful nature writing to uncover the remarkable relationship between birds and traditional folk music. Birds are beloved for their song and have featured in our own music for centuries. This charming volume takes us on a journey of discovery to explore why birds appear in so many folk songs.

Today, folk songs featuring our feathered friends are themselves something of a threatened species: their melodies are fading with the passage of time, and their lyrics are often tucked away in archives. It is more important than ever that we promote awareness of these precious songs and continue to pass them down the generations. Lifetimes of wisdom are etched into the words and music, preserving the natural rhythms of nature and our connection to times past.

An important repository and treasury of bird-related folk songs, Singing Like Larks is also an account of one young nature writer's journey into the world of folk music, and a joyous celebration of song, the seasons, and our love of birds.

Praise:

“Handling so many interwoven threads — birds, birds in song, habitats, habitat loss, restoration, people, place and personal experience — in this accomplished way is a rare thing indeed.” - Caught by the River

“A beautiful, informative and fascinating book. In each chapter [Millham] seamlessly blends the behaviour of the bird with its place in the history of folk song, all written in a lively and engaging style … with evident passion for the subject.” - Stephen Moss, bird writer and naturalist