University of York Music Press

For centuries the Cuckmere River has inspired artists, sheltered smugglers and preserved a host of rare habitats and wildlife as it charts a course through some of the most evocative landscapes in southern England.

In a work of beauty and eloquence, the filmmaker Cesca Eaton and the composer/conductor Ed Hughes trace the changing moods of the Cuckmere river, from its source in the Sussex Downs to its dramatic twists and turns as it meanders to the sea at Cuckmere Haven.

Whilst this 'Spotlight' film features a five-part version of the Spring and Summer sections from Hughes’ score, the full work will receive its world premiere on the 5 May at the University of Sussex’s Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. Conducted by Ed Hughes, the work will be performed by The Orchestra of Sound and Light.