'Wylde Britain'
A new solo concert programme for 2026 - a one-hour musical journey from Shetland to Land's End
Live solo performance with spectacular musical settings and natural soundscapes, plus recorded stories and legends narrated by leading actors and presenters - all in incredible audio
SURROUNDSOUND
Devised, performed and presented by
Laurence Perkins
Internationally acclaimed soloist, worldwide concerts, live radio and television performances, and solo albums for Hyperion and Signum Classics in the U.K. Specialist Classical Charts (click blue links for details).
LISTEN
to a 6-minute audio sampler of 'Wylde Britain'
Music and stories
The performance includes legends and poetry recorded specially for this concert programme, with contributions from
Dame Judi Dench OBE
(numerous Academy and Golden Globe awards)
Sir Derek Jacobi
(BAFTA and Olivier Awards, I Claudius, Cyrano de Bergerac)
James Quinn
(Coronation Street, Doctor Who)
Sandra Voe
(The Bill, Midsomer Murders, Shetland)
Stephen Bill
(Crown Court, The Bill, and award-winning script writer)
Sef Townsend
(Actor, and storyteller at international festivals)
Helping war survivors
The event is raising funds for for UK-Med (click this red link for details) supporting their vital and on-going medical work for survivors in Ukraine and other war and natural disaster zones worldwide.
Where and who does this musical journey visit?
Shetland - islands of music and dance
Loch Ness - home of a famous 'critter'
Hadrian's Wall - a Roman soldier on duty
Ireland - music and natural beauty
Snowdon - the Welsh mountain in Winter
Alderley Edge - a wizard and his sleeping army
Sherwood Forest - the legend of Robin Hood
Sussex - woodland images in poetry and music
Zennor - the lure of a Cornish mermaid
Land's End - the beginning of the world
Where will the live performances be?
Plans for 2026 concert performances include a launch at the Edinburgh Fringe in August, followed by the locations visited in this musical journey. In 2027 further performances are planned in other locations around the U.K. Where possible, there will also be educational presentations in primary schools near to concert venues, free of charge. More details soon!
Will there be a recording of 'Wylde Britain'?
Yes, an audio recording of the music from 'Wylde Britain' will be released digitally by Heritage Records in late July, and will be available on all major streaming platforms.
Will there be a video of 'Wylde Britain'?
There will be promotional videos appearing before and during the live concert tour, offering samples of what to expect in the concert. There will not be a video of the full performance - this is a concert performance that needs to be experienced LIVE!
Fundraising details for UK-Med
(see also below, 'Financial help needed')
All live performances will be ticketed, details will be available when the tour dates are confirmed.
Laurence Perkins will be giving all live performances of this concert without fee - only essential expenses are covered, the remainder will go to UK-Med. Many people who are hosting, supporting or contributing towards this concert presentation have done so without payment - a huge 'thank you' to all those who have done so!
FINANCIAL HELP NEEDED
I am not taking a fee for any performance of 'Wylde Britain', but I need financial help to cover essential expenses for these fundraising concerts, and for education sessions with young people. The amount needed varies with each venue, but I need to budget £400 per concert from donations to ensure that all costs are covered. Any savings on this amount will be carried forward to future performances.
If you think you might be able to help, please click HERE for details on a separate webpage. Any amount is a huge help.
Thanks ever so much!
With best wishes from Laurence
Expenses for 'Wylde Britain' concerts
Donations received:
Cash and online donations from two events in October 2025: £908.01
Anonymous donation, 22nd December 2025: £2000
Anonymous donation, 29th December 2025: £100
Anonymous donation,8th January 2026: £100
Donation from Patricia Moore, 9th January 2026: £100
Donation from Julia Banks, 12th February 2026: £50
Donation from John Watt, 17th February 2026: £400
Donation from Tim Softley, 6th March 2026: £20
Anonymous donation, 6th March 2026: £20
Anonymous donation, 10th March 2026: £400
Anonymous donation, 10th March 2026: £900
Donation from Linda Huxley, 14th April 2026: £100
Anonymous donation, 4th March 2026: £40
Online anonymous donation from event, 21st May 2026: £15
Cash donations from event, 21st May 2026: £200
Total donations so far: £5353.01
Expenditure:
Edinburgh Fringe registration and print / online publicity: £393.60
Concert venue expenses (invoice 09/03/2026): £162.00
Concert venue expenses (invoice 20/04/2026): £71.50
Concert venue expenses (invoice 30/04/2026): £83.75
Concert venue expenses (invoice 30/04/2026): £150.00
Nationwide distribution of 7500 A5 leaflets (invoice 05/05/2026): £450
Concert venue expenses (invoice 08/05/2026): £100.00
Printed publicity material (invoice 10/5/2026): £379.50
Concert venue expenses (invoice 13/05/2026): £200.00
Postage to leaflet distributors (7500 and 600 A5 leaflets, 14/5/2026): £41.55
Total expenditure so far: £2031.90
Balance: £3321.11
This helps to support 20+ performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (10-13 August) and in the venues around the U.K. which are featured in 'Wylde Britain'.
No performance fees are taken - all concerts are given without fee. These are essential expenses including venue costs*, printed publicity and distribution, travel, accommodation and other costs directly related to the 'Wylde Britain' concert performances.
There will be many more essential expenses in the coming months, so any contributions will be hugely valuable and gratefully received.
Thank you so much!
This page will be updated as more donations come in. Last update: 25th May 2026
* There are a few venues that have very kindly waived their heating and other costs, and have allowed the use of their premises free of charge. To avoid complications, they are not identified here, but their generosity is very much appreciated. There are also many other people who have given their services either free of charge or at significantly reduced rates - again, this is very greatly appreciated and is a significant help to this fundraising project.