This inexhaustive survey of human music inspired by whale sounds took its lead from the second chapter of David Rothenberg’s ‘Thousand Mile Song’ (Basic Books, 2008), and was substantially enriched by a Facebook discussion initiated by Emily Doolittle. It primarily covers genres of which I have a reasonable acquaintance: Western ‘art’ music (and its experimental underbelly), jazz and rock/pop.
I have focused on music where the inspiration is sonic (e.g., as shown through the use of field recordings, or vocal/instrumental reference to the acoustic and other music-like aspects of whale calls and song) rather than linguistic (e.g., verbal reference to whale hunting, whale conservation or other narratives).
Where composers or performers have explicitly stated that their work is connected to whale sounds, I have taken them at their word, even if the mode of connection is not obvious in the resulting work. Genres which are substantially under-represented include Folk and Indigenous music, New Age music, and a large number of songs inspired by Herman Melville’s ‘Moby Dick; or, The Whale’ (1851) and the Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale.
This survey is divided into compositions where the principal output was a score for performance by others (Table 1), and compositions where the principal output was a recording (Table 2). When particular species of whales are referenced in the piece of music, these are listed using the following abbreviations:
- Ba = Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Common Minke Whale)
- Bmus = Balaenoptera musculus (Blue Whale)
- Bmys= Balaena mysticetus (Bowhead Whale)
- Dl = Delphinapterus leucas (Beluga Whale, or White Whale)
- Ea = Eubalaena australis (Southern Right Whale)
- Ha= Hyperoodon ampullatus (Northern Bottlenosed Whale)
- Mn = Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback Whale)
- Oo = Orcinus orca (Orca, or Killer Whale)
- Pm = Physeter macrocephalus (Sperm Whale)
- T=Tursiops spp. (Bottlenosed Dolphin)
Table 1. Musical Scores Inspired by Whale Sounds.
Composer | Title | Year | Instrumentation | Species | Publisher/ Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andel, Laura | Whale Singing | 2002 | Solo Voice and Large Ensemble | NMUSA | |
Ball, Derek | Celtic Whale | 2006 | Cláirseach, Fiddle [electronically modified] | CMC Ireland | |
Blackford, Richard (recordings from Bernie Krause) | The Great Animal Orchestra, Symphony for Orchestra and Wild Soundscapes | 2014 | Orchestra and CD recording | Mn | Nimubus Music Publishing, tinyurl.com/ y4c2lfcv |
Blom, Diana | The Whale's Song | 2008 | Cello, Piano | Mn | AMC |
Bodman, Christopher | Songs of the Humpbacked Whale | 1982 | Trombone Quartet | Mn | BMC |
Bolliger, Phillip | Benedictus Balaenarum (Benediction of the Whales) | 1993 | Trombone, Piano | Kookaburra Music AMC |
|
Bozone, Judy | The Man and the Whale | 2016 | Clarinet, Piano | ISCM Soundcloud |
|
Bright, Colin | The Last Whale | 2007 | Vocal Sextet, Chamber Ensemble, CD recording | AMC | |
Bruynèl, Ton | Save the Whale | 1989/91 | (Contra)bass Clarinet and Two Soundtracks | Composer | |
Byrne, Luke | Whale Pavane | 2019 | Cello, Piano | AMC [composer] | |
Cage, John | Litany for the Whale | 1980 | Vocal Duet | Edition Peters | |
Carter, Tristan | Tohoraha | 2017 | String Quintet and Taonga Pūoro | Sounz | |
Chapman, Stephen | Minke Whale (No.2 from Due East) | 2008 | SATB Chorus | Ba | CMC |
Cionek, Edmund | Whale-tronica | 2002 | Saxophone Quartet and Fixed Media | NMUSA | |
Cowan, Claire | Whaler | 2003 | Solo Cello | Sounz | |
Cresswell, Lyell | The Kauri Tree and the Whale | 1983 | Orchestra | Sounz | |
Cresswell, Lyell | The Belly of the Whale | 1997 | Unaccompanied Choral | Composer BMC, Sounz |
|
Crumb, George | Vox Balaenae | 1971 | Electric Flute, Electric Cello, Amplified Piano | Mn | Edition Peters |
Danon, Nina | The Caress of the Sea | 2020 | Alto Saxophone, Piano | Pm | Composer |
Danon, Nina | Aquatic Dance | 2020 | Alto Saxophone, Piano | Composer | |
Doolittle, Emily | Social Sounds from Whales at Night | 2007 | Soprano or Solo Instrument, with Percussion and Tape | Mn | Composer CMC |
Doolittle, Emily | Bowheads | 2019 | Piano Trio | Bmys | Composer |
Ellias, Roddy | Whale Spirit Rising | 1985 | Baritone Saxophone and String Orchestra | CMC | |
Evans, Robert | Whale Song Dancing, A Cantata | 1993 | Solo voice, Chorus, Instrumental ensemble | CMC | |
Farberman, Harold | The Blue Whale | 1972 | Mezzosoprano, Chamber Ensemble | ||
Finney, Ross Lee | Lost Whale Calf | 1980 | Solo Piano | ||
Fujikura, Dai | Dolphins | 2010 | Two Violas (also Two Cellos or Two Violins) | Ricordi | |
Gonneville, Michel | Le cheminement de la baleine | 1998 | Solo Clarinet, Ondes Martenot, 18 instruments | Mn | Composer CMC |
Gorbos, Stephen | On the Whiteness of the Whale | 2009 | Solo Bass Clarinet | Composer Sequenza21 |
|
Grisey, Gerard | Vortex Temporum | 1995 | Flutes, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano | Ricordi Ircam |
|
Hextall, Pieta | Planet Vandal | 2010 | Solo Piano | Sounz | |
Hirs, Rozalie | Kleine walvis en het ijs (Little Whale and the Ice) | 2007 | Large Ensemble (12 players) | Donemus | |
Hodkinson, Sydney | Blue Whale (Sea Chanteys) | 1971 | 2 x Mixed Chorus | Bmus | CMC |
Holman, Derek | The Greenland Whale | 1982 | Mixed Chorus | CMC | |
Hovhaness, Alan | And God Created Great Whales | 1970 | Orchestra and Tape | Mn | Edition Peters |
Kirke, Alexis | Fast Travel | 2011 | Tenor Saxophone, Interactive Electronics | Bmus | |
Knox, Garth | Jonah and the Whale | 1990/96 | Viola, Tuba | CMC Ireland | |
Kok, Ronald | Killer Whales | 1978 | Viola and Four Double Basses | Donemus | |
Laporte, Jean-François | Le Chant des baleines | 2002 | Electric Guitar | Ircam | |
Lewandowski, Annie | Cetus: Life After Life | 2018 | Whale Song and Chimes [Carillon] | Mn | Composer |
Lewis, Robert Hall | Nuances II | 1976 | Orchestra and Tape | Mn | NMUSA |
Lucier, Alvin | Quasimodo, the Great Lover | 1970 | Open | Mn | |
Mclean, Priscilla | Beneath the Horizon I | 1977 | Tuba Quartet and Whale Ensemble | Mn | NMUSA |
Mclean, Priscilla | Beneath the Horizon III | 1979 | Tuba Solo and Whale Ensemble | Mn | NMUSA |
Mikhashoff, Yvar Emilian | HWALC | 1978 | Cello and Tape | ||
Miller, Jared | Leviathan | 2018 | Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, Percussion, Electronics | Bmus | ISCM Soundcloud |
Morawetz, Oskar | The Whale's Lament | 1993 | Solo Piano | ||
Morrison, Frank | Tzinquaw | 1950 | Indigenous Opera | Oo | |
Nam June Paik | Danger Music for Dick Higgins | 1973 | Open | ||
Pécou, Thierry | Rorqual | 2013 | strings, harp, percussions, pre-recorded tapes and instrumental group ad libitum | Mn,Bmus,Dl,Porp | Schott Music |
Pécou, Thierry | Méditation sur la fin de l'espèce | 2017 | Solo Cello, Six Instruments, Pre-recorded Whale Song | Pm, Mn, Oo, DI | Schott Music, Gaudeamus |
Perkinson, Coleridge-Taylor | The White Whale | 1981 | Chamber Orchestra with Baritone Soloist | NMUSA | |
Perkinson, Coleridge-Taylor | Piano Trio | 2002 | Violin, Cello, Piano | NMUSA | |
Perrin, Ross | La baleine qui court dans le ciel du Cambodge | 2001 | Gamelan, Child’s Voice, Clarinet and Harp | CMC | |
Perry, Nina | The Whale | 1959 | Voices, Piano | OUP | |
Powell, Kit | Whale | 1993 | Trombone and Tape | Mn | Sounz |
Powell, Kit | Whale | 1993 | SATB Choir and Tape | Mn | Sounz |
Powell, Kit | Whale Song | 2007 | Solo Piano | Sounz | |
Powell, Kit | Whale Fantasy | 2016 | Solo Piano | Mn | Sounz |
Redhead, Lauren | The Whale | 2019 | Open notation and fixed media | Composer | |
Ritchie, Anthony | Whalesong | 2006 | Solo Double Bass and Orchestra | Mn | Sounz |
Robb, Magnus | Delphi | 1990 | Orchestra | SMC | |
Searle, Humphrey | The Apollonian Whale, Op.74 | 1980 | Cello, Piano, Voice | Whalesound BMC |
|
Shapiro, Alex | Below | 2008 | Contrabass Flute and Electronic Soundscape | Mn | Activist Music / NMUSA |
Shapiro, Alex | Immersion | 2011 | Symphony for Winds, Percussion and pre-recorded Soundscape | Mn | Activist Music |
Sharp, Barry | Even Here | 2017 | Piano and any other combination of instruments | Mn | |
Souster, Tim | Spectral | 1972 | Solo Viola, Tape-delay system and Live Electronics | Mn | Composers Edition |
Svetlichny, Anton | The Whale (Total Loneliness) | 2011 | Violin, Cello, Double Bass | The lonely whale | Babelscores |
Swann, Donald | The Whale Song (Mopy Dick) | 1963 | Voice, Piano | Ha | Warner Chappell Music |
Takemitsu, Toru | Toward the Sea | 1981 | Alto Flute and Guitar or Alto Flute, Harp and Strings or Alto Flute and Harp (1989) | Schott Music | |
Tavener, John | The Whale - A Biblical Fantasy | 1966 | Chorus plus Orchestra | Chester Music Ltd | |
Uyeda, Leslie | Whales | 2006 | Soprano, Flute/Bass Flute, Piano and Pre-recorded Whale Sounds | Dl,Oo | The Avondale Press CMC |
Werle, Lars Johan | Ännu sjunger valarna [Still the Whales Are Singing] | 1992 | S, Mez, T, B-Bar, str qt, db, perc | ||
Whitehead, Gillian | Puhake ki te rangi [Spouting to the skies] | 2006 | String Quartet and Taonga Puoro | Sounz | |
Wilder, Alec | Elegy For The Whale | 1975 | Solo Tuba and Orchestra | Music Sales Classical / NMUSA | |
Xenakis, Iannis | Pour les Baleines | 1982 | Large String Orchestra | Salabert Ircam |
Sources include
- AMC=Australian Music Centre
- BMC=British Music Collection
- CMC=Canadian Music Centre / Centre de Musique Canadienne
- CMC Ireland=Contemporary Music Centre Ireland
- ISCM=International Society for Contemporary Music
- NMUSA=New Music USA
- SMC=Scottish Music Centre
Table 2. Recorded Works of Music Inspired by Whale Sounds.
Artist (Performer) | Title (Album) | Album | Release Year | Genre | Label / Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Laurie | Life on a String | 2001 | Electronic | Nonesuch | |
Barnes, Andy (Sheena Wellington) | The Last Leviathan (Kerelaw) | 1983 (1986) | Folk | Dunkeld Records | |
Bush, Kate | Moving (The Kick Inside) | 1978 | Electronic, Rock | Amiga | |
Chapin, Tom | Sing A Whale Song (Moonboat) | 1993 | Folk | Sony Kids' Music | |
Claquer with Catriona McKay | Blackfish (Remembrance Species 2018) | 2018 | Experimental | Bandcamp | |
Cocteau Twins | Whale's Tales | Victorialand | 1986 | Rock | 4AD |
Collins, Judy | Farewell to Tarwathie (Whales and Nightingales) | 1970 | Folk song | Elektra | |
Crosby, David (Crosby & Nash) | To the Last Whale (The Two of Us) | 1975 | Rock | ABC Records | |
Danon, Nina | Pearls | The Dragon and the Golden Flower | 2016 | Classical | Bandcamp |
Dean, Roger (Lysis) | Wings of the Whale (The wings of the whale - You-yangs) | 1985 | Jazz | SOMA Records AMC |
|
Dirty Projectors with Björk | Mount Wittenberg Orca | 2011 | Electronic, Pop | Domino | |
Downes, Kit | Last Leviathan (Obsidian) | 2018 | Contemporary classical | ECM Records Sequenza21 |
|
Fahres, Michael | Cetacea | 2007 | Electroacoustic with video | michael-fahres.com | |
Fraser, Al with Sam Leamy, Neil Johnstone | Rorqual (Panthalassa) | 2019 | Experimental | Bandcamp | |
Fraser, Al with Sam Leamy, Neil Johnstone | Whale Time (Panthalassa) | 2019 | Experimental | Bandcamp | |
Gluck, Bob | Jonah under the Sea (Stories Hear and Retold) | 1997 | Electroacoustic | Electronic Music Foundation | |
Haden, Charlie (Old and New Dreams) | Song for the Whale (Old and New Dreams) | 1979 | Jazz | ECM Records | |
Interspecies Music | Whalescapes | 1977 | Experimental | Music Gallery Editions | |
Jaffrennou, Pierre-Alain | Deuxième passage de la baleine | 1984 | Electroacoustic | Ircam | |
Jaffrennou, Pierre-Alain | Océane ou Troisième passage de la baleine | 1984 | Electroacoustic | Ircam | |
Jethro Tull | Whaler's Dues | Rock Island | 1989 | Rock | Chrysalis Records |
Kings of the South Seas | Kings of the South Seas | 2014 | Folk | D. Wink | |
Lawrie, Bunna | Whale Dance Song; Sound of the Whale (Rhythm of Nature/ Coloured Stone) | 1998 | Indigenous | CAAMA | |
Lawrie, Bunna | Jeedara (White Whale Song) | 2016 | Indigenous | tinyurl.com/ yxttfkaq |
|
McDonald, Joe (Country Joe McDonald) | Save the Whales! (Paradise With An Ocean View) | 1975 | Rock | Fantasy | |
McMillan, Ann | Whale - Wail, In Peace, En Paix: For Voice and Tape Structures of Whale and Other Animal Sounds | 1986 | Electroacoustic | Folkways Records | |
Morris, David | Whale Song | 1980 | Electroacoustic | ||
Neil, Fred | The Dolphins | Fred Neil | 1966 | Rock | Capitol Records |
Nollman, Jim | Orca Reggae | 1979 | Interspecies | interspecies. com |
|
Nollman, Jim | Playing Music with Animals: The Interspecies Communication of Jim Nollman with 300 Turkeys, 12 Wolves, 20 Orca Whales | 1982 | Field recording, Experimental | Folkways Records | |
Nollman, Jim | Orca's Greatest Hits | 1985 | Field recording, Experimental | Interspecies Communication | |
Reed, Lou | Last Great American Whale (New York) | 1989 | Rock | Sire | |
Robertson, Harry (Alex Hood) | Ballina Whalers (Whale Chasing Men: Songs of Whaling in Ice and Sun) | 1971 | Folk | MFP records | |
Rothenberg, David | Whale Music | 2008 | Jazz | Terranova Music | |
Rothenberg, David (Various) | Whale Music Remixed | 2009 | Electronic | Terranova Music | |
Seeger, Pete | Song of the World's Last Whale (At 89) | 2008 | Folk | Appleseed Recordings | |
Swann, Donald (Flanders & Swann) | The Whale Song (Mopy Dick) (The Bestiary of Flanders and Swann) | 1963 | Children’s | Parlophone | |
Tarshito & Murray Burns (Bunna Lawrie) | Nullarbour Journey (Whaledreamers) | 2006 | Film soundtrack | tinyurl.com/ y5845lmw |
|
Tom Waits / Kathleen Brennan | Starving in the Belly of a Whale (Blood Money) | 2002 | Rock | ANTI | |
Toop, David | The Divination of the Bowhead Whale (New and Rediscovered Musical Instruments) | 1975 | Experimental | Obscure | |
Various | Belly of the Whale | 2006 | Various | Important Records | |
Various | Pod Tune | 2016 | Electronic | brightcolors. com/podtune |
|
Wendt, Larry | In the Beginning was the Whale | 1976 | Electroacoustic | ||
Winter, Paul | Ocean Dream (Common Ground) | 1978 | Jazz | A&M Records | |
Winter, Paul | Lullaby from the Great Mother Whale for the Baby Seal Pups (Callings) | 1980 | New Age | Living Music | |
Winter, Paul (Paul Winter / Paul Halley, Leonard Nimoy) | Whales Alive | 1986 | New Age | Living Music | |
South, Alex with Katherine Wren | Entanglement (Remembrance Species 2020) | 2020 | Experimental | Bandcamp | |
Inner Child (various artists) | Canticum Megapterae - Song of the Humpback Whale | 2019 | Psychedelia | Bandcamp |
Genres have been taken from the relevant listing on the website discogs.com.