2 May 2025, Sussex
YOUR GUEST MUSICIAN, HOST & NIGHTINGALE
Christopher (they/them, he/him) is a dynamic harpist and interdisciplinary artist whose work spans classical, contemporary, and experimental music. Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, they began their harp studies at the age of three with Anita Leschied and developed a passion for music through early experiences in piano, flute, guitar, and voice. By the time they graduated from Vincent Massey Secondary School in 2016, Christopher had already worked with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra as a solo vocalist, served as principal harpist of the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra, and acted as Music Director for Arts Collective Theatre.
The Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a small, brown, unremarkable-looking bird, but they possess one of nature’s finest singing voices. The English population winters in Sub-Saharan Africa in the western countries like Sierra Leon and Senegal, returning to the very same thicket they were born in arriving in early to mid-April. They spend April to the end of May mating and nesting where we can encounter the extraordinary display of the males’ courtship song, famous for his all-night broadcast.
Sam is a folksinger, song collector, activist, nature conservationist, guide, and presenter. With three critically acclaimed albums - his debut receiving a Mercury Music Prize nomination - he works holistically in challenging the sound and purpose of our indigenous music in the 21st Century.