Join us in Beacon Hall this autumn for a special performance where the wonders of nature meet the magic of music.

Erland Cooper is a Scottish composer and multi-instrumentalist who draws deeply from the wild landscapes of his Orkney home. Throughout his critically acclaimed catalogue, Cooper weaves field recordings, orchestral arrangements, and electronic textures into pieces that capture the essence of place, memory, and time.

His groundbreaking latest album, ‘Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence’, was written and recorded three years ago, then immediately planted underground in Scotland with all digital copies permanently deleted. A meditation on value and patience in a world of instant gratification, the tape was eventually found by fans in 2023. It is now out in the world for all to hear how the sound has been manipulated by the soil over that time, standing proudly at the top of the UK Official Classical Album Charts as a totally unique example of collaborating with nature.

Joining Erland for the evening are two very special guests, Mercury Prize-nominated folk singer, song collector and activist Sam Lee (fresh from his own sold out show here in Lantern Hall earlier this year) and composer & sound artist Alice Boyd, who will both offer their own reflections on the natural world, with sound & landscapes intertwining and music becoming a celebration of the Earth we share.

Sam Lee

Sam Lee plays a unique role in the British music scene. A Mercury prize nominated singer, highly inventive and original arranger, folksong interpreter, passionate conservationist, song collector and creator of live events.

Sam’s latest album ‘songdreaming‘ was released in March 2024, with The Guardian describing the project as “a moving tribute to Albion’s troubled soul” in its 5 star review.

Alice Boyd

Alice Boyd is a musician, sound artist and audio producer based in South London. Her work blends voice, ambient electronic textures, and novel field recording techniques to explore our interconnectedness with the natural world and reveal the hidden sounds of our environments. Alice’s practice includes music and live performance, site-specific audio installations, radio documentaries, podcasts, and compositions for film and theatre.