Now Playing - The Singing Apes

The Singing Apes of Khao Yai by Jan Sandstrom

ah vava va va vava va vava
haha haha han! han!
ah vava ah haha han han vava han!
vava han! vava han!
…………………
ah ha! ah ha ah haha ah ha
ah ha ah hahaha
a-ä! a-ä! a-ä! a-äh!
…………………
ah vava vava ah ah han han
ha ah haah haah.

[Note: thanks to astvinr for telling me how to create an a with an umlaut. I've edited this since the comment!]

This comes from a wonderful CD by Orphei Dränger called The Singing Apes and Other Songs of Love and War. This one was commissioned by the (all-male) choir, who the booklet suggests were perhaps slightly disconcerted when they were told the title of their commission.

The composer was watching a television programme in whcih a male gibbon sang "and it was among the most beautiful things that I have heard". I'm afraid the text doesn't give the full effect of this remarkable composition.