Step silently into the night and listen as the finest musicians in the land duet with the sweet song of the nightingale.
This event has finished. Find our upcoming Singing With Nightingales events here.
In spring 2023, join singer & conservationist Brian Briggs alongside a special guest musician on an unforgettable journey into nature.
Enjoy fireside food, drink, songs and stories followed by an after-dark journey into the woods to meet the nightingale. Once nestled in ear-tinglingly close range to our bird, you will experience a concert like no other as the musicians join in an improvised duet with their virtuosic night-song.
While darkness falls upon the magnificent woodland we will partake in this singular celebration of spring – the return of life to the land – soundtracked by its most decorated singer. Quite simply, it’s a spectacular opportunity to connect with nature in the most time-honoured of ways.
Running from 7pm through to 12:30am, this is not a typical gig, and each night is unique.
Your evening will include musical performances by the campfire, an eco-tour of the woods, and post-dinner tales of this majestic bird’s life, songs and folklore, as you are guided in a descent into nature’s realm, culminating in the now-famous finale:
A silent walk into the dark to hear our signature human-avian musical collaboration under the stars.
Your ticket includes dinner, as well as a selected range of craft ales, wine, cider, teas and coffee around the campfire.
The special guest musician joining Brian Briggs for this date is Jon Ouin.
Tickets are extremely limited.
Singing With Nightingales is an all-weather and multi-terrain experience with specific demands on guests’ physicality. Please do read the full event description and our FAQs before confirming your place.
Nb: This date does not feature Sam Lee.
Brian Briggs is an accomplished singer & songwriter with folk band Stornoway, and has also spent time recently as senior reserve warden at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust centre in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.
“It was, as promised, magical” – Dan Damon, BBC R4
“Still aglow. One of the most profound and magical nights of my life.” – John M
“The event as a whole was an incredible experience, and I thought it was held beautifully by the whole team. Hearing the nightingale and Sam and Jonny singing and playing under the stars was wonderful.”
“The food and hospitality were wonderful, the music was spellbinding and the atmosphere was really very special indeed.” – Alison S
“…lying under the stars listening to the nightingales everything lifted…Thank you so much.” – Janet
“It showed us a new way of hearing, seeing and being. Or perhaps not a new way at all, but a very old way.” – Fiona M
“A holistic experience like no other. Total immersion in nature and music, in ancient Sussex woodland. It will take me a long time to process. Thank you” – 2021 attendee
“I knew that the experience would be magical and would allow me to really immerse myself in nature and music…but I had no idea how educational it would be! After I left, I couldn’t help talking all my friends’ ears off about everything I learned about coppicing and bird calls and avian behavior. It was such a treat to receive so much knowledge.” – 2022 attendee
“We had high hopes for the event and it surpassed them in every way. An incredibly special day that we will never, ever forget.” – 2022 attendee
Singing With Nightingales runs from mid-April to late May each year, when the male birds are singing their courtship song.
Brian Briggs is a member of the highly acclaimed folk band Stornaway, a doctor of ornithology, and a senior reserve warden at Llanelli’s Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Wetland Centre.
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Jon Ouin is a composer and music producer based in Oxford. He was a member of the band Stornoway, with whom he toured around the world.
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