A new performance project from emerging jazz trio EMRYS will see music, landscape and community come together in a strikingly original way this spring. Supported in part by Trinity Laban’s Principal’s Award, the ensemble will undertake a week-long Walking & Music Tour of the Lake District, culminating in a series of intimate, site-responsive performances across the region.
Formed in London, EMRYS comprises Sam Nicholls (drums), Isaac Burland (double bass) and Chris Outhwaite (piano) – three distinctive young artists whose work draws on jazz alongside classical, choral and folk traditions. Their music is characterised by expansive, textural sound worlds that invite reflection and a deep sense of place.
The forthcoming tour represents a natural extension of this artistic ethos. Inspired by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage’s Walking Home, the trio will traverse the Lake District on foot, with each day’s journey culminating in a live performance. Concerts will take place in a range of community settings, including churches, village halls, schools and other local venues, creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with audiences beyond traditional concert spaces.
At the heart of the project is an exploration of how music can evolve in dialogue with environment and community. Each performance will be shaped by the day’s walk, its terrain, atmosphere and encounters, with recordings from the tour forming the basis of EMRYS’ debut album.
All concerts will be free to attend, with audiences invited to reserve tickets in advance or join on the door. A voluntary donation model will support the continuation of the project. In a further invitation to participation, the trio encourages audiences to join sections of the daily walks, fostering a shared experience of landscape and sound.
The project is supported by the Principal’s Award, part of Trinity Laban’s Innovation Awards, which recognises and enables bold, forward-thinking artistic initiatives by graduating students. The award was presented to Sam Nicholls upon his graduation in 2025, and has played a key role in bringing the Walking & Music Tour to fruition.
Individually, the members of EMRYS have already collaborated with leading figures across the contemporary jazz scene, including Byron Wallen, Hans Koller and Laura Jurd.