Ceredigion harpist, Catrin Finch, performs at Aberystwyth Arts Centre next week in Freedom To Roam (Wednesday, 23 February, 7.30pm).
Flautist Eliza Marshall has spearheaded a project that is both humanitarian and environmental to create an inspiring journey in music and film. Freedom To Roam showcasing both a documentary and musical performance featuring the likes of Catrin Finch and Kuljit Bhamra.
Catrin Finch said: “When Eliza approached me, I immediately jumped at the chance as I thought it was something we all needed. Suddenly there was time to think, be inspired and create. We could turn to nature, think about how to care more fully for the planet.
“I was inspired by the themes of openness and freedom at the heart of this project and to work with these wonderful musicians.”
Eliza added: “Freedom To Roam approaches the interconnected challenges of climate change, environmental destruction and human displacement within the context of our needs for freedom, empathy and hopefulness.”
Each live performance begins with a screening of the documentary Connected made by multi-award-winning director Nicholas Jones and co-produced by Eliza. Beautifully shot and sensitively narrated, the film features Born Free founders Virginia McKenna and Will Travers, author and campaigner Nick Hayes, Alex McKenzie from the Lost Woods rewilding project, as well as suicide-survivor turned natural-wellbeing-advocate Nick Ray.
The second part of each live show sees the award-winning Freedom To Roam album, The Rhythms of Migration, played in full by its composer’s Eliza (Peter Gabriel/The Lion King), Catrin Finch (BBC Folk Award Winner), Jackie Shave (Britten Sinfonia leader) and Dónal Rogers (Ranagri/Tony Christie).
Virginia McKenna described the album as “an important and thought-provoking journey with some of the world’s top musicians”.
Joined by special guests Kuljit Bhamra MBE (award-winning Bhangra pioneer) and Robert Irvine (BASCA Award), the performances fuse folk with classical via Africa, Scotland and India – crossing illusory borders, telling untold stories whilst simultaneously challenging us to see the world with new, and more hopeful, eyes. There’s also a stunning backdrop to this incredible music created by videographer Amelia Kosminsky.