Let folk singer and naturalist Sam Lee take you on a narrated journey into the many worlds of the rarest of birds. For millennia, the Nightingale has been a cultural, folkloric, poetic, and mythic icon whose night song has enchanted bards and artists alike. Discover the extraordinary lifecycle and character of this most forgotten of singers through exquisite surround-sound field and ethnographic recordings, coupled with tales of our human relationship to the land as channelled through this now critically endangered species.

Presented by Elmbridge Borough Council in association with Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre

In our quest to be rational and scientific, have we lost touch with something magical?
Medieval Europeans lived in a world steeped in magic – meeting fairies in barrows and consulting ‘cunning folk’ as we might a doctor or therapist. Magic was woven into the fabric of daily life and helped to make sense of the world’s profound uncertainty. But magic isn’t just in the distant past.

In today’s uncertain times, many people are craving a connection to a more mysterious and meaningful realm. From the pagan joy of summer festivals to the upsurge of TikTok tarot and the turn towards the healing power of nature, we seem to yearn for a more magical way of thinking. Is this a good thing, or is it taking us back into a darker, less ‘enlightened’ past? Join us for an evening of conversation and music with historian Tabitha Stanmore and Mercury Prize-nominated folk singer, conservationist and novelist Sam Lee.

Don’t miss out on an unforgettable evening with Mercury Prize-nominated singer, Sam Lee, in a truly intimate setting. Experience his rich, emotive voice and inventive arrangements that connect deeply with nature and storytelling, in this solo and a capella performance.

Sam Lee is an award-winning singer and song collector, a folk song interpreter, whose approach breathes fresh life into traditional songs. His work is a heartfelt tribute to our cultural and natural heritage.

His knack for melding heritage with modernity earned him recognition at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. His most recent album ‘songdreaming’ was named one of Mojo’s Top 10 Folk Albums of 2024.

Book via Eventbrite link below. Proceeds from this event support Sussex Wildlife Trust and Rye Harbour Discovery Centre.

About Hearth Summit
Previously called The Wellbeing Summit, the Hearth Summit is an award-winning three-day gathering bringing together 1,000+ changemakers to advance a hopeful vision of individual, collective and ecological wellbeing for all.
It’s an emotional and intellectual journey with inspiring talks and panel discussions, interactive workshops and immersive art experiences. It’s an opportunity to build relationships and enhance collaboration and innovation, leading to the creation of a strong, engaged and compassionate network.

‘Wild Service’ calls for ordinary people to reconnect to the land and commit to its restoration.

Whether it is polluted rivers, tree felling or the decline of pollinators, this event invites you to discover the power in participation and community.

Writers Nicola Chester and Jon Moses, as well as musician Sam Lee (who will also perform), lay out how we can collectively shape a brighter future for our homeland by developing new connections with the natural world.

‘[An] inspired, inclusive and fantastically ambitious reimagining of our relationship with land and the living world, in Britain and beyond.’- Robert Macfarlane

Sam Lee’s reputation as a world class folk singer and renowned conservationist precedes him and we feel extremely privileged and excited to welcome him to The Shaking Bog Festival for an intimate evening of folksongs and storytelling in the atmospheric surroundings of St Patrick’s Church.

“I wanted to sing a vision of what a conversation between us and the land could be, to restore and inspire a practice of songful immersion in nature that brings with it healing, something we need now more than ever.”
Sam Lee, November 2023

The folk custodian of the native song of the British Isles, leading voice in the environmental movement, and creator of the hugely successful and popular book, Singing with Nightingales, Sam Lee has become, over the course of four critically acclaimed albums, a chronicler and artistic spokesperson of the natural world. Lee’s commitment to both the indigenous song culture of the British Isles - including Ireland where he has collected songs from the travelling community - and its nature, is heartfelt and deeply rooted and his work, including his latest album songdreaming is infused with a love of the natural world and a fierce commitment to fight for its preservation.

For Sam, the connection to the natural world is also a connection to a better way of being and a desire to recreate an eden that is ever present in his work and the songs he sings are more than a history, they are a living, vibrant, vital connection to our very being - and so he is the perfect guest for The Shaking Bog. This is a not to be missed performance.

“Over the past dozen years, no one has tended the sacred flame of folk song more assiduously than London’s Sam Lee. Singer, promoter, wilderness expert (he trained with Ray Mears), Lee’s principal mission has been “finding new soundworlds for old songs”, many of them learned at the hearths of the travelling community.”
Neil Spencer, The Guardian

Celebrate the enduring legacy of the folk musician with Martin Simpson, Jacqui McShee, Robert Plant, Bernard Butler, Kathryn Williams and Sam Lee.

Join Mercury Prize nominated folk singer Sam Lee for an intimate evening of song and story on the banks of the River Wye.