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Hayden Thorpe: Song of Ness

Featuring Robert Macfarlane & Propellor Ensemble

Haden Thorpe

Hayden Thorpe brings Ness to life, transforming Robert Macfarlane’s words into a spellbinding musical experience featuring Propellor Ensemble and musicians from Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Through resplendent orchestration and ethereal choral arrangements, Song Of Ness reimagines the atmospheric landscapes of Orford Ness - once a weapons development site, now a rewilded place of paradox.

Inspired by Robert Macfarlane and illustrator Stanley Donwood’s Ness, Thorpe crafted the album by redacting words from the book to uncover hidden songs. With haunting melodies and innovative soundscapes, the echoes of history meet the forces of nature, brought to life in this one-of-a-kind performance featuring large ensemble, choir and projection mapping created from artwork by Stanley Donwood.

The performance will also include a world premiere of specially commissioned Ness work with new songs from Thorpe and Macfarlane alongside arrangements for orchestra and choir by Jack McNeill and Kerry Andrew, the creators behind the acclaimed album.

This performance may contain haze and strobe

Stage times will be confirmed closer to the event.

Produced by the Barbican

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