The Lark Ascending

Richard King’s book The Lark Ascending is re-told through a seamless blend of music, visuals, spoken word and dance from a cross-genre group of artists.

The book follows King’s pilgrimage into rural Britain in search of its musical identity, celebrating the communal experience of gathering together under open skies. Tonight, performances from musicians featured in the book are punctuated by readings from it, with video direction by Rob St John.

Firstly, a new arrangement of Vaughan Williams’s piece which gave the book its name – a profound communion with nature – is performed by Daniel Pioro, James McVinnie, Liam Byrne, and Clare O’Connell. Elsewhere, Vashti Bunyan offers a short set of songs from across her career; Arthur Jeffes performs a selection of Penguin Café Orchestra material; Deep Throat Choir sing a selection of material from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp Songbook, Rob St John performs solo, and Andrew Weatherall closes the evening with a specially-composed piece.