Symphony of sheep bells, near Telti, Sardinia on 10th July 2022 – by Samantha Hodder

Field Recordings

“I was travelling with my family on the island of Sardinia. We turned off the highway near Telti, a mountain town outside of Olbia, heading to an Agritourismo for dinner.

At first I couldn’t make out what the clamorous sound was…it was both noisy and beautiful in the same moment. The sun was setting over the mountain, so I had to squint to see what was making all that sound. And then I could see an entire flock of sheep, hundreds of them, walking through the field, each with a different bell hanging around their necks. They were clanging at different intervals and pitches; a completely accidental symphony.

I climbed over the fence and stuck my recorder out…after I first insisted that my family stay quiet, so I didn’t also have the recording of protesting kids yelling: “What are you doing, Mom?!”

It’s a simple, unmodified sound that completely transports me to a whole new place when I listen to it.”