The Human Chord by Algernon Blackwood (1869 - 1951).
The following sets the tone for this work of weird fiction:
"Numbers of strange people advertised in the newspapers, he knew, just as numbers of strange people wrote letters to them; and Spinny—so he was called by those who loved him—was a diligent student of the columns known as "Agony" and "Help wanted." Whereupon it came about that he was aged twenty-eight, and out of a job, when the threads of the following occurrence wove into the pattern of his life, and "led to something" of a kind that may well be cause for question and amazement.
The advertisement that formed the bait read as follows:—
"WANTED, by Retired Clergyman, Secretarial Assistant with courage and imagination. Tenor voice and some knowledge of Hebrew essential; single; unworldly. Apply Philip Skale,"—and the address."
( Algernon Blackwood)
How to claim a part, and "how it all works" here To find a section to record, simply look at point 5. below at the sections. All the ones without names beside them are "up for grabs." Click "Post reply" at the top left of the screen and tell us which section you would like to read (include the section number from the left-most column in the reader list, please). Read points 6. to 8. below for what to do before, during and after your recording.
Is there a deadline? We ask that you submit your recorded sections within 1-2 months of placing your claim. Please note that to be fair to the readers who have completed their sections in a timely way, if you haven't submitted your recording(s) after two months, your sections will automatically be re-opened for other readers to claim, unless you post in this thread to request an extension. Extensions will be granted at the discretion of the Book Coordinator. If you cannot do your section, for whatever reason, just let me know and it'll go back to the pool. There's no shame in this; we're all volunteers and things happen.Please do not sign up for more sections than you can complete within the two month deadline.
Please claim sections (the numbers in the first column below)! If this is your first recording, please let me know under which name or pseudonym you'd like to appear in the LibriVox catalogue. We can also link to a personal website/blog.
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Magic Window:
BC Admin
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Genres for the project: Fantastic Fiction/Fantasy Fiction; Fantastic Fiction/Horror & Supernatural Fiction
Keywords that describe the book: mysticism, resonance, Occult, weird fiction, wavelength, mad scientist, kabbalism
Set your recording software to:
Channels: 1 (Mono)
Bit Rate: 128 kbps
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
DURING recording: No more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of the recording! Make sure you add this to the beginning of your recording: START of recording (Intro)
"Section [number] of The Human Chord . This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
If you wish, say: "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
Say: "The Human Chord , by Algernon Blackwood. [Section Title]"
END of recording
At the end of the section, say: "End of [Section]"
If you wish, say: "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
At the end of the book, say (in addition): "End of The Human Chord , by Algernon Blackwood. "
There should be ~5 seconds silence at the end of the recording.
Please remember to check this thread frequently for updates!
AFTER recording Need noise-cleaning?
Listen to your file through headphones. If you can hear some constant background noise (hiss/buzz), you may want to clean it up a bit. The latest version of Audacity is recommended for noise-cleaning. See this LibriVox wiki page for a complete guide. Save files as
128 kbps MP3
humanchord_##_blackwood_128kb.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is the section number (e.g. humanchord_01_blackwood_128kb.mp3)
Transfer of files (completed recordings) Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file. Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood
I'm probably a bit rusty, but I would like to try my hand at chapter 1 (both parts). So I would hereby like to claim sections 1 and 2 under the pseudonym SkeletonJ. Thanks!
Check out my blog where I post writing exercises and sometimes muse about literary subjects
Hi,
They are yours. I am sure they will be smooth.
Thanks for starting this off!
-Amy
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood
Hi,
Section 5 aka Chapter 3 is yours.
Thanks!
-Amy
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood
Hi Autumn,
I signed you up for Section 9. Please submit a one-minute test in the Listeners Forum to check your tech specs to make sure your setup is good before you put the work in.
Cheers,
-Amy
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood
JackpotSeven wrote: ↑January 6th, 2021, 10:28 am
May I claim all of Section 6 aka Chapter 4? Name: JackpotSeven
Most certainly, JackpotSeven.
Thanks for your claim!
-Amy
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood
I have some pronunciation questions about Section 6 aka Chapter 4, some of these might be obvious but I just want to make sure:
"Spinrobin" -> pronounced like Robinhood?
"Mr. Skale" -> pronounced like 'scale'?
"Mrs. Mawle" -> ?
This sentence:
"His ordinary mental picture of the mere letters SARAHMAWLE disappeared and became merged in something else"
Should I spell out the letters or just say the name?
Hi Jackpot,
Yes, I would go with those for Spinrobin and Skale. I believe Mawle would be pronounced like mall.
I think spelling them out would work well in this instance.
Thanks,
-Amy
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood
Hi TruistKnave,
I signed you up for Section 7. I hope you enjoy recording. Maybe you will get hooked. It is a lot of fun.
Cheers,
-Amy
In the mind, or consciousness of the Earth this flower first lay latent as a dream. Perhaps, in her consciousness, it nested as that which in us corresponds to a little thought.--A.Blackwood