RICHARD WALTERS PRESENTS SONGS FROM THE SOLENT

What does it sound like when a place finds its voice?

Alton-based singer-songwriter Richard Walters spent the summer of 2025 as Artist in Residence for the Solent Seascape Project – meeting sea swimmers and choir singers, climbing to the top of the Spinnaker Tower, gathering field recordings at the water's edge, and listening hard to the communities and habitats of one of England's most distinctive coastlines. The result is Songs From the Solent: eight original songs that weave together local voices, natural sounds and Richard's own Grammy-nominated artistry into something genuinely unlike anything else.

The album features Jeremy Irons lending his voice to centrepiece track Lanterns Part 1, members of Chichester's Big Notes Choir singing on Salt Forests, and the work of celebrated linocut artist Angela Harding, who created a bespoke illustrated map connecting each song to the place that inspired it. A quarter of all sales go directly to habitat restoration in the region.

For one special evening at Goldfinch Books, Richard will perform music from the project and talk about the experience with Louise MacCallum of the Blue Marine Foundation – the people working on the ground to protect these threatened landscapes.

Live music, honest conversation, and a reminder of what's worth fighting to preserve – right on our doorstep.

25% of all profits from this gig will go to the Blue Marine Foundation.