Richard Walters: Songs from the Solent – Department, Ryde
Join acclaimed Hampshire singer-songwriter Richard Walters for a unique musical journey around the Solent, featuring live performances from his album Songs From the Solent alongside stories of inspiration from his time as Solent Seascape Project Artist in Residence. Richard will be joined in conversation by Solent Seascape Project Manager Louise MacCallum, who will explore the people, places and habitats that inspired the music.
The album features songs inspired by the Island, including Wight Paint and Lanterns Part 1, with Richard basing these on meeting artist Trudie Wilson on the seafront at Ryde, and a walk up Tennyson Down. Now you can hear them, in the very locations that inspired the music.
Background:
During the summer of 2025, Richard immersed himself in life around the Solent. He met sea swimmers, spoke to people high above Portsmouth at the top of the Spinnaker Tower, gathered recordings from the shoreline, and listened closely to the sounds and stories of one of England’s most distinctive coastal landscapes.
The result is Songs From the Solent – a collection of eight original songs that blend music, spoken word, local voices and natural soundscapes. Each piece is inspired by the extraordinary habitats, wildlife and communities connected to the Solent, and the ongoing efforts to protect and restore them.
The album also brings together an impressive cast of collaborators. Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons lends his voice to the centrepiece track Lanterns Part 1, members of Chichester’s Big Notes Choir feature on Salt Forest, and celebrated artist Angela Harding has created a beautiful illustrated map linking each song to the place that inspired it.
Whether you’re passionate about nature, fascinated by local stories, or simply love great live music, this promises to be a memorable evening celebrating the seascapes, wildlife and people of the Solent.
Key details:
📅 17 November
📍 Department, Ryde, Isle of Wight
£10
Bar opens 7pm
Performance starts 8pm
Other dates and locations:
📅 20 November
📍 Havana, Chichester
£10
📅 21 November
📍 Calshot Castle
£4