"the cries of mallards" (beak music #27)

Jump to 18.55 for the amazing "Farewell to A Hill" by Alice Shields - "a piece made in mourning for the death of a loved one", whose components include "electronically manipulated harpsichords, the sounds of small bells, and the cries of mallards."This YouTube upload above is the quadraphonic version of the album (in fact this may be the only version of the album as originally on vinyl). Which obviously is not going to come through on your or my computer / phone / tablet / whatever, but nonetheless - pretty fuckin' cool.As is Alice ShieldsAlice Shields is still alive! And still active.Look at her holding her own amongst all these besuited ancient blokes at Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music CenterAlthough there is another female composer in there - Pril Smiley? (also on the album)More top tunes from Ms ShieldsHaving done some beak music on "Farewell To A Hill", she did some muzzle music with "Coyote, For Tape" (1981), which - you guessed it - incorporates the sound of that loping…