Listen to Humpback Songs
Humpbacks are singers, composers and poets whose songs travel across entire oceans... long, hauntingly beautiful, uninterrupted streams of sounds are actually rhythmic, repeated, patterns of sound.
~ Roger Payne
Anyone who has ever heard a humpback singing while in the water with them knows the mystical feeling of the vibration of the whale's song moving right into one's body. It is a reverent and ecstatic experience.
It was biologist Roger Payne, along with Scott McVay, who discovered in the 1960's that humpback whales sing. Thanks to their pioneering work, we are all able to understand more about their songs, and to listen to the recordings when we are not blessed to actually be with them in the water.
Piers van der Walt
used with permission and gratitude
Humpback songs are probably the most complex in the animal kingdom. In biology, a song is any two or more notes that are repeated in a pattern, and consists of units of sound which combine to form what is known as a phrase. Repetition of a phrase is called a theme. A song will be made up of a number of separate themes. Themes are sung in a specific order, and the entire song will last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour; some whales sing for hours and days at time. Katy Payne discovered that humpbacks from a single population sing the same song, changing a bit every year, completely changing about every 5 years. Chris Clark's research demonstrated that humpback songs can be heard across ocean basins from the coast of Virginia to the Norweigan Sea.
It was originally thought that only males sing as part of a mating ritual, and did so only in breeding and nursery grounds. It turns out, however, that humpbacks are also known to sing in feeding grounds where mating is not known to occur. When discovering that they sing in feeding grounds after years of assuming otherwise, Phil Clapham of Fishery Sciences Center quipped, "It tells us whales don’t read the text books, which is really annoying."
To hear the whales singing, consider listening to one of the following CDs. When I want to remember moments with the whales in the sea, when I want to feel connected to their souls and feel centered in my own soul, these are the pieces I listen to:
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Songs of the Humpback Whale CD If you want to hear just the whales, without any human instrumentation or voice, this is the must-have CD for you. If you want to hear their verbal language as they speak it, as they sing it, this is the CD to listen to. Produced by Dr. Roger Payne, the biologist who discovered that whales sing and has studied them since the 1960‘s, this recording was originally released on LP in 1970. |
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It was also included in National Geographic Magazine's January 1979 issue as a sound sheet--which sold 10.5 copies, still the highest number of records sold in the recording industry. It is carried aboard the Voyager I and II spacecraft, for all the solar system to hear, has been heard by millions of people around the world. It remains the best selling nature album of all time. "Songs of the Humpback Whale isn't the only album of humpback whale recordings, but it is the most famous -- not to mention the most influential. This album did a lot to galvanize environmentalists and had a significant impact on the Save-the-Whales movement of the '70s. The sounds that these whales make have an incredibly haunting beauty; in their own unique way, their sounds are quite musical -- and many of the people who heard Songs of the Humpback Whale back in the early '70s decided that killing the gigantic creatures was a bad thing. Humpback whales were in danger of extinction at the time, but thanks to the Save-the-Whales movement, the whaling industry seriously curtailed its activities." ~ Paul Winter |
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"Amazing Grace” with Humpback Whale Songs CD by Cecilia This is a spectacular rendition of the song Amazing Grace interspersed with actual whale song recordings. The Amazing Grace song (track 6 on the CD) is played at sunset every evening on my humpback whale swim trips with the North Atlantic Humpbacks in their winter home in Silver Bank, off the Dominican Republic. After each miraculous day in the water swimming with the whales, we play this song on the outside deck of our dive boat at sunset, holding hands and sending prayers and love to the whales. |
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The song is our thank you to them—for gracing us with their physical presence, for their trust, and for the greatness of their love. The combined vibrations of this song—an alchemy of Cecilia's angelic voice, the wisdom in the whales' voices and the powerful energy of the original words—make it one of the most touching, inspirational pieces of music ever created. Our evening tradition of playing it is one of the most remembered highlights of these trips for many. This music takes you to the center of your soul, where all is well, where we are all aligned to God/Source. May it take you there with great love. Note: Cecilia has another CD actually titled Amazing Grace. However, the rendition of "Amazing Grace" on that album is not at all the same one as on this Voice of the Feminine Spirit CD. This one includes much more whale song and, I think, a much higher vibration of whale energy. |
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Reiki Whale Song by Kamal When you want music to help you come back to your center, or just to kick back and relax, bring the whales with you! After swimming with humpbacks, composer Kamal writes of being mesmerized, rejuvenated and elated while hearing their songs. The memory of that inspired this music. Actual songs of humpbacks, recorded by Roger Payne, are incorporated into soft, soothing, calming music suitable for healing sessions, private meditation, or for quiet background music while reading, relaxing or working. A must have CD for people who love both whales and soft meditation music. Enjoy! |
| From the Producer: Healing songs from the gentle giants of the deep echo throughout this unique collaboration of whale and man. Kamal blends authentic recordings of humpback whales with flute and soft synthesizer to create an atmosphere supportive of the healing energies of Reiki. Sacred Swims & Communication with Humpback Whales  |
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