The night time sound of Rye is celebrated in the 200th episode of a very different podcast. Radio Lento is a fantastic listen – there’s no music, no talking, and no annoying ads or jingles. Just the sound of a place. The team who make the podcast have recorded all over the UK and their beautiful long-form slow radio episodes are a hit with listeners all over the world.
Producers Madeleine Sugden and Hugh Huddy create each episode by leaving high-spec microphones in different locations to capture the authentic sound of a place. “We’ve visited Rye many times over the years. It’s a special place for us, so we were thrilled when Revd Paul said he’d open the church for us at night. We left one set of mics in the nave under the pendulum, and set up another up in the belfry, then collected them the next morning before the crowds arrived. In the 200th episode you can hear the sound of the clock marking the hour, then the clock mechanism as the bells fade with the sound of the wild wind outside. It’s calming and fascinating.”
You can hear more from St Mary’s in episode 190 when recordings made earlier in the night are used. Mixing the sound from the two locations, it’s a mesmerising listen without the usual crowds. On the same trip, the team from Radio Lento also visited Rye Harbour and made a separate recording of the empty beach. You can hear that in episode 188. Listen for the tide on the shingle and you will find yourself drifting away…
For Madeleine and Hugh recording in Rye has been an unforgettable experience and not without its challenges, but they hope to return soon. “We really love Rye and its surroundings and were so excited to finally be able to make a series of episodes from there. It’s tough to do though, as the sound of the traffic gets in the way of the quiet. We’ve made other recordings not far from Rye, including Winchelsea, and would love to record the marshes one day.”
You can hear the 200th edition of Radio Lento recorded in Rye here. To hear this and other editions of the podcast recorded locally search for Radio Lento on most podcast platforms. or follow them on Twitter / X or Bluesky as @RadioLento.
Image Credits: Radio Lento , Julian P Guffogg CC , James Stewart .
Love this. Thank you