A Hymn to Water

Available for over a year

From its origins in Mallerstang, Cumbria, the River Eden snakes through limestone gorge and the busy city of Carlisle to the Solway Firth and the sea. Growing up near it, Jacob Polley's poetic sensibilities were shaped by its gentle trickle, its white-noise roar and the lapping of water along its banks. In this Between the Ears, Jacob wanders from the source to the sea, listening, observing and composing as he goes, attempting to discover why water has played such a role in his life and work. Along the way, he meets the View from the River swimmers Julia Aglionby, Jenny Prosser and Kit Hollings, who have their own unusual perspective - looking out from water as opposed to our usual gaze toward it. Reading from a new work at key staging posts along the river, bought to life by musician Kathryn Williams, Jacob offers an examination of his own thoughts and feelings about water and its shaping of his soul. With contributions from Hugh Edan; Matt Staniek; Mike Harpur, project manager with the Environment Agency; Kit Hollings, Jenny Prosser and Julia Aglionby from View from the River. Presented by Jacob Polley Music and sound design by Strijbos & Van Rijswijk Produced by Kev Core and Sue Roberts