Artist-in-Residence Renell Shaw leads an evening of powerful storytelling, cultural reflection and musical innovation with The Windrush Suite and Echo in the Bones — two landmark works that have established Shaw as one of the most distinctive and important voices in contemporary Black British music.
The evening opens with the live premiere of The Windrush Suite, winner of the Ivor Novello Award for Best Large Ensemble Composition. Shaw’s tribute to his Caribbean roots and to the Windrush pioneers who arrived in Britain in 1948, this work celebrates courage, sacrifice and the creation of new cultural identities in the face of extraordinary challenges. Drawing on family recordings, archival voices and striking visual elements, Shaw transforms memory into sound, weaving together orchestration, rhythm and spoken word to bring the stories of the Windrush generation vividly to life. The result is a deeply personal reflection that resonates far beyond the stage — a testament to resilience, community and the ongoing legacy of migration.
After the interval, Shaw presents Echo in the Bones, the second part of his evolving trilogy. Where The Windrush Suite honours the first generation, Echo in the Bones turns to their children — the British-born generation who grew up navigating two cultures, negotiating belonging and identity in a nation that often demanded proof of their “Britishness.” Through Shaw’s rich blend of music, narrative and imagery, the work explores themes of inheritance, resistance and self-definition. It asks what it means to be Black and British today, how stories are passed from one generation to the next, and how history continues to shape the present.
Performed with a world-class live ensemble under Shaw’s direction as musical director, conductor and vocalist, the evening merges contemporary composition with soul, jazz, spoken poetry and Caribbean musical traditions. Shaw’s ability to blend genres while maintaining emotional clarity has become his signature, and both works demonstrate a rare combination of artistic ambition, cultural insight and emotional immediacy.
Together, The Windrush Suite and Echo in the Bones form an essential artistic journey — a living archive of Black British experience told through sound. This is more than a concert; it is a gathering of stories, a collective reflection, and a celebration of heritage that continues to evolve. For anyone invested in the Windrush legacy, British-Caribbean culture or innovative contemporary music, this performance promises to be a defining London event of 2026.
This event will last approximately 1 hour 40 minutes, including an interval.
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