An Ever Noisier World
David Hendy explores how the volume of modern life has risen inexorably, visiting the noise rich capital of Ghana, Accra.
The 20th century brought attempts to distinguish between 'necessary' and 'unnecessary' noise. In New York, the authorities tried to clean up Coney Island fairground, banning barkers from using megaphones and targeting street sellers, newspaper boys, and buskers. But the volume of modern life has risen inexorably.
Professor David Hendy of the University of Sussex travels to Ghana's capital, Accra, a city so loud that visitors describe its streets as a visceral shock, and introduces an elegiac recording of the wild soundscape we've lost, captured by the celebrated naturalist, Bernie Krause.
30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.
Signature tune composed by Joe Acheson.
Producer: Matt Thompson
A Rockethouse production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.
Last on
More episodes
![]()
British Library curator Dr Janet Topp Fargion previews the final week of the Noise series.
Broadcasts
Thu 25 Apr 2013 13:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4- Thu 26 Nov 2015 14:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 27 Nov 2015 02:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 27 Jun 2019 14:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 28 Jun 2019 02:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
Noise retold by Matthew Herbert
The head of the New Radiophonic Workshop retells the Noise series using only the sounds.