This day’s programme includes Shirley Thompson’s Spirit of the Middle Passage, performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra, and commissioned by Freedom and Culture.

Spirit of the Middle Passage is a tribute to the resilient spirit of the millions of Africans who were brutally forced to migrate to the Americas. There were innumerable acts of resistance during this period, and Spirit of the Middle Passage features the terrible but fascinating narratives of three women from the three continents connected by the triangular trade in slaves. Three totally diverse lives are joined by the thread of the slave trade experience. The resulting tapestry has created a legacy that is still being unravelled in the 21st century.

Part of Freedom and Culture