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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Person {{Infobox animal
| name = Sparkie Williams | name = Sparkie Williams
| image = Sarkiethebudgie.jpg | image = Sarkiethebudgie.jpg
| image_size = 200px | image_size =
| caption = Sparkie (now stuffed) with June Brown, archivist at the Natural History Society of Northumbria | caption = Sparkie (now stuffed) at the Natural History Society of Northumbria
| birth_date = 1954 | hatch_date = 1954
| hatch_place = ], ]
| birth_place =
| death_date = 1962 | death_date = 1962 (aged 7 or 8)
| death_place = ], ] | death_place = ], ]
| death_cause = | death_cause =
| known_for = His repertoire of more than 500 words | known_for = His repertoire of more than 500 words
| occupation = | occupation = ]
| spouse = | spouse =
| parents = | parents =
Line 16: Line 17:
}} }}


'''Sparkie WIlliams''' (1954–1962) was a ] ] who provided the inspiration for a new ] by ] and ]. The opera was performed in ] in March 2009.<ref name="Berlin">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/7963007.stm|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author=BBC website|title=Linguistic budgie inspires opera|year=2009 | date=2009-03-25 | work=BBC News}}</ref> Sparkie had a repertoire of more than 500 words and eight ], becoming a national celebrity after fronting an advertising campaign for Capern’s bird seed, and making a record which sold 20,000 copies.<ref name="Celebrity">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4386929,00.html|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= David Alderton - Guardian newspaper|title=Talk the squawk|year=2002 | work=The Guardian | location=London | date=2002-04-06}}</ref><ref name="CD star">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4839366.stm|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= BBC website|title=Tongue-twisting budgie is CD star|year=2006 | date=2006-03-23 | work=BBC News}}</ref> After he died, he was stuffed and put on show at ]’s ].<ref name="Museum">{{cite web|url=http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/2002/12/3/112483.html|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= Northern Echo newspaper|title=Straight from the budgie's beak |year=2002}}</ref> '''Sparkie Williams''' (1954–1962) was a ] ] who had a repertoire of more than 500 words and eight ], becoming a national celebrity after fronting an advertising campaign for Capern's bird seed, and making a record which sold 20,000 copies.<ref name="Celebrity">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/Archive/Article/0,4273,4386929,00.html|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= David Alderton - Guardian newspaper|title=Talk the squawk| work=The Guardian | location=London | date=2002-04-06}}</ref><ref name="CD star">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4839366.stm|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= BBC website|title=Tongue-twisting budgie is CD star| date=2006-03-23 | work=BBC News}}</ref> After he died, he was stuffed and put on show at ]'s ].<ref name="Museum">{{cite web|url=http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/2002/12/3/112483.html|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= Northern Echo newspaper|title=Straight from the budgie's beak |year=2002}}</ref> Sparkie provided the inspiration for an ] by ] and ]. The opera was performed in ] in March 2009.<ref name="Berlin">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/7963007.stm|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author=BBC website|title=Linguistic budgie inspires opera| date=2009-03-25 | work=BBC News}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
Born and bred in ], Sparkie was owned by Mrs Mattie Williams, who lived in ], near ]. He earned his name after Mrs Williams called him ‘A bright little spark,' and she taught him to speak, recite songs and sing nursery rhymes. Sparkie had a huge repertoire of words and sayings. By the time he was three-and-a-half, he had won the ] International Cage Word Contest in July 1958. He was so good, in fact, that he was disqualified from taking part again.<ref name="Sparkie">{{cite web|url=http://www.journallive.co.uk/videos-pictures-north-east/pictures-north-east/2009/03/26/sparkie-williams-part-2-61634-23237579/|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author=The Journal newspaper|title=Sparkie Williams Part 2|year=2009}}</ref> Hatched and bred in ], Sparkie was owned by Mrs. Mattie Williams, who lived in ], near ]. He earned his name after Mrs Williams called him "A bright little spark", and she taught him to speak, recite songs and sing nursery rhymes. Sparkie had a huge repertoire of words and sayings. By the time he was three-and-a-half, he had won the ] International Cage Word Contest in July 1958. He was so good, in fact, that he was disqualified from taking part again.<ref name="Sparkie">{{cite web|url=http://www.journallive.co.uk/videos-pictures-north-east/pictures-north-east/2009/03/26/sparkie-williams-part-2-61634-23237579/|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author=The Journal newspaper|title=Sparkie Williams Part 2|year=2009}}</ref>


Sparkie was courted by bird seed sellers and fronted the advertisement campaign for Capern’s bird seed for two years. He was recorded talking with budgie expert Philip Marsden on BBC radio, and appeared on the BBC Tonight programme with ]. When Sparkie died, he was stuffed by the best ] in London and taken on a tour of Britain in an exhibition of his life and work, before coming back to the Hancock Museum in 1996.<ref name="Celebrity"/> Sparkie Williams is acclaimed as the world’s most outstanding talking bird in the ]. Sparkie was courted by bird seed sellers and fronted the advertisement campaign for Capern's bird seed for two years. He was recorded talking with budgie expert Philip Marsden on BBC radio, and appeared on the BBC Tonight programme with ]. When Sparkie died on Tuesday 4 December 1962, Mattie Williams had him stuffed and mounted on a wooden perch at the renowned taxidermy establishment, ] Ltd. of Piccadilly, London. He was then taken on a tour of Britain in an exhibition of his life and work, before coming back to the Hancock Museum in 1996.<ref name="Celebrity"/> Sparkie Williams is acclaimed as the world's most outstanding talking bird in the ].{{cn|date=August 2024}}


Sparkie is among the exhibits on show in the ].<ref name="Berlin"/>
He is now part of the collections owned by the Natural History Society of Northumbria.


==Opera== ==Opera==
The new opera inspired by Sparkie is based on Michael Nyman’s 1977 piece ''Pretty Talk''. The original piece used material from a record made by Capern’s bird-food company to help customers teach their pet birds to talk. The 7-inch flexi disc played short sentences spoken by Sparkie’s owner, Mrs Williams, to encourage her pet to speak - followed by replies from Sparkie himself.<ref name="Library">{{cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/listentonature/specialinterestlang/langofbirds13.html|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author=The British Library|title=The language of birds: 5.1 Talking birds|year=2002}}</ref> The new opera, ''Sparkie: Cage and Beyond'', features further recordings from the ‘Sparkie’ archives of the Natural History Society of ]. A CD of Sparkie talking has already been released.<ref name="Topbill">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article743882.ece|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= Jack Malvern, Arts Reporter, Times newspaper |title=Budgie tops the bill as mimicry is put on CD|year=2006 | work=The Times | location=London | date=2006-03-22}}</ref><ref name="Dailymail">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-380733/Storytelling-budgie-stars-new-CD.html|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author= Daily Mail newspaper |title=Storytelling budgie stars on new CD|year=2006|location=London|date=2006-03-22}}</ref> The opera inspired by Sparkie is based on Michael Nyman's 1977 piece ''Pretty Talk''. The original piece used material from a record made by Capern's ] company to help customers teach their pet birds to talk. The 7-inch flexi disc played short sentences spoken by Sparkie's owner, Mrs Williams, to encourage her pet to speak followed by replies from Sparkie himself.<ref name="Library">{{cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/listentonature/specialinterestlang/langofbirds13.html|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author=The British Library|title=The language of birds: 5.1 Talking birds|year=2002}}</ref> The opera, ''Sparkie: Cage and Beyond'', features further recordings from the "Sparkie" archives of the Natural History Society of Northumbria. A CD of Sparkie talking has already been released.<ref name="Topbill">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article743882.ece|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080726202723/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article743882.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 July 2008|accessdate=2009-03-25 |author1=Jack Malvern |author2=Arts Reporter |author3=Times newspaper |title=Budgie tops the bill as mimicry is put on CD| work=The Times | location=London | date=2006-03-22}}</ref>


==On display== ==See also==
* {{annotated link|Talking bird}}
Work on a £26&nbsp;million extension and refurbishing of the Hancock Museum in Newcastle will see it re-open in May 2009 as part of the ]. Sparkie will be among the exhibits on show to visitors.<ref name="Berlin"/>
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist}}


==External links==
⚫ ]
* – summary of Sparkie's career and achievements, with pictures
⚫ ]

⚫ ]
⚫ ]
]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
] ]
] ]
]
]

Latest revision as of 03:34, 27 September 2024

Sparkie Williams
Sparkie (now stuffed) at the Natural History Society of Northumbria
Hatched1954
North East England, U.K.
Died1962 (aged 7 or 8)
Forest Hall, U.K.
OccupationTalking bird
Known forHis repertoire of more than 500 words

Sparkie Williams (1954–1962) was a talking budgie who had a repertoire of more than 500 words and eight nursery rhymes, becoming a national celebrity after fronting an advertising campaign for Capern's bird seed, and making a record which sold 20,000 copies. After he died, he was stuffed and put on show at Newcastle's Hancock Museum. Sparkie provided the inspiration for an opera by Michael Nyman and Carsten Nicolai. The opera was performed in Berlin in March 2009.

History

Hatched and bred in North East England, Sparkie was owned by Mrs. Mattie Williams, who lived in Forest Hall, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He earned his name after Mrs Williams called him "A bright little spark", and she taught him to speak, recite songs and sing nursery rhymes. Sparkie had a huge repertoire of words and sayings. By the time he was three-and-a-half, he had won the BBC International Cage Word Contest in July 1958. He was so good, in fact, that he was disqualified from taking part again.

Sparkie was courted by bird seed sellers and fronted the advertisement campaign for Capern's bird seed for two years. He was recorded talking with budgie expert Philip Marsden on BBC radio, and appeared on the BBC Tonight programme with Cliff Michelmore. When Sparkie died on Tuesday 4 December 1962, Mattie Williams had him stuffed and mounted on a wooden perch at the renowned taxidermy establishment, Rowland Ward Ltd. of Piccadilly, London. He was then taken on a tour of Britain in an exhibition of his life and work, before coming back to the Hancock Museum in 1996. Sparkie Williams is acclaimed as the world's most outstanding talking bird in the Guinness Book of Records.

Sparkie is among the exhibits on show in the Great North Museum: Hancock.

Opera

The opera inspired by Sparkie is based on Michael Nyman's 1977 piece Pretty Talk. The original piece used material from a record made by Capern's bird food company to help customers teach their pet birds to talk. The 7-inch flexi disc played short sentences spoken by Sparkie's owner, Mrs Williams, to encourage her pet to speak followed by replies from Sparkie himself. The opera, Sparkie: Cage and Beyond, features further recordings from the "Sparkie" archives of the Natural History Society of Northumbria. A CD of Sparkie talking has already been released.

See also

References

  1. ^ David Alderton - Guardian newspaper (6 April 2002). "Talk the squawk". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  2. BBC website (23 March 2006). "Tongue-twisting budgie is CD star". BBC News. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  3. Northern Echo newspaper (2002). "Straight from the budgie's beak". Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  4. ^ BBC website (25 March 2009). "Linguistic budgie inspires opera". BBC News. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  5. The Journal newspaper (2009). "Sparkie Williams Part 2". Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  6. The British Library (2002). "The language of birds: 5.1 Talking birds". Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  7. Jack Malvern; Arts Reporter; Times newspaper (22 March 2006). "Budgie tops the bill as mimicry is put on CD". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

External links

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