Music premiere: The Third Sea (Kings Place, London)

New music meets medieval Hebrew poetry in the premiere performance of a new song cycle, 'The Third Sea'—introduced by CIP affiliate Dr Vanessa Paloma Elbaz.

In 1140, at the peak of his fame, the Hebrew poet Yehuda HaLevi sailed from Andalusia bound for the Holy Land. He would never return. Onboard ship, swaying between exhilaration and homesickness for the family he’d left behind, he composed some of his most beautiful poems. As the familiar world slipped beneath the waves, he saw with Noah’s eyes a waterscape teeming with divinity, bejewelled with stars, and stirred by the terrible might of Leviathan…

Set in English, Tim Watts’s (St. John's) new cycle seeks to recreate Yehuda HaLevi’s passionate, ecstatic voice in song, framing his spiritual quest as a journey from the dry land of notation into the choppy waters of improvisation. The performance will be introduced by CIP affiliate Dr Vanessa Paloma Elbaz.

The premiere will be interpreted by:

• Hugh Cutting (counter-tenor, winner of the 2021 Kathleen Ferrier award)
• Leo Appel (violin)
• Laura van der Heijden (cello)
• Tim Watts (composer, piano)

Tickets are available for £15 (booking fees may apply).

More information (including a brief video from the rehearsals) can be found on the Kings Place website.

Please note -- this event is not organised by the Cambridge Interfaith Programme.