Museum Matinees - Imaginary Landscapes (Poetry and Harp Recital)

Chris Tutton and Lucy Nolan bring Imaginary Landscapes to Derby Museum & Art Gallery on Sunday 22 November, a recital that puts Tutton's poetry and Nolan's harp together in the same room. It's part of The Year of Wright, the museum's year-long celebration of Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797), one of Britain's most original and visionary painters, whose work the museum collects on a world-leading scale.

The music is written from Tutton's poetry, and it covers a fair bit of ground. You'll hear free improvisation in Carnatic ragas, unconventional harp techniques, excerpts from Catrina McKay folk songs, and arrangements of Jean Sibelius. It's a wide range to fit into one session, and the two work from the same starting point — Tutton's poems.

There's a good bit of pedigree behind the names. Chris Tutton is an award-winning poet with eight collections to his name; his debut novel, The Failing of Angels, came out in 2020, and Ned Sherrin once called him 'the master of the short poem'. Lucy Nolan is an international award-winning harpist who has played on Hollyoaks and ITV's Victoria, and has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong. Critics have described the collaboration as 'an absolute gem' and 'a pearl in the whole Festival'.

It runs from 2pm to 3.30pm at the museum on The Strand, DE1 1BS. Tickets are £10, and booking is essential as places are limited. The session is for adults (18+).