The Sound of Sheep

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19 January 2014 at 23:11 

I've been watching Hinterland/YGwyll an S4C/BBCWales Nordicnoir style detective series on iPlayer (and Tivoing it too).

I can heartily recommend it to those of us who like intelligent murder/mysteries with subtitles.

The language used is as people really speak in Wales: some in pure Welsh; some in English; some flitting from one to the other, frequently in the same sentence.

The Welsh is subtitled for non-speakers.

It is very sparing in the use of music allowing views and ambient sound to create the atmosphere.  So on top of a mountain you have the wind, a spattering of rain and the croak of a raven - and sheep. 

Which was even more hiraethol to me than the sound of Welsh. 

I left Wales in 1975 but I've only just realised that I miss the sound of sheep. 

Our family home had fields on two sides and at this time of year they were full of sheep brought down the hill for lambing. 

Every time you walked out of the door there were ewes and lambs calling to and for each other. 

And I've missed that noise for decades without knowing it.