Songs for the Earth

Sinfonia Cymru invites you to Songs for The Earth, a journey through sound and spirit blending traditional Welsh, classical, folk and jazz into an enchanting new musical mix.

Together with the exceptional musicians of Sinfonia Cymru, you’ll celebrate human connection with land, water, sun and moon through music that connects us all with nature and the outdoors.

Songs for the Earth unites orchestral musicians with the extraordinary talents of classical and folk violinist Bridget O’Donnell and jazz bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado. It captivated audiences at the London Jazz Festival in 2022 and was featured on Cerys Matthews’ BBC 6 Music show. Now, Sinfonia Cymru are making it bigger and more magical than ever, with an expanded ensemble, featuring strings, harp and percussion.

You’ll hear nature-inspired music from Celtic, Nordic, North & South American, Eastern European and Middle Eastern traditions. Some are traditional folk songs; others are more recent, written by songwriters of today. You might recognise some; others will surprise you.

Feel the spirit of the wind in Ofra Haza’s Ne’ama and let the rhythms of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires transport you. Debussy’s La Mer takes you to the sea, while Gwilym Bowen Rhys’s Lloer Dirion Liw’r Dydd evokes a gentle moon in the skies over Wales. And feel the spiritual energy of Bridget and Misha’s arrangement of Down To The River To Pray – you might know it from the scene where George Clooney joins a baptism in O Brother, Wh