Symphony Kukai returns to London, bridging cultures through music

"It's beautiful"

Emotional responses were common by the end of the performance.

"I cried at the end," Baines said." I know it was a bit filmy, but I just thought it was beautiful and varied, and the end was so incredible. So I cried."

Venner described the work as "hugely lyrical and melodic", noting that singers particularly enjoyed its long, expressive phrases. She singled out the sixth movement as especially powerful, "It takes you on a real journey, and there are lots of different colors and characters in it. And by the time you get to that climactic ending, I think everybody is feeling very much involved in it."

Since its European premiere in London in August 2024, Symphony Kukai has toured Auckland in New Zealand, as well as Osaka and Kagawa in Japan.

Rosie Taylor, chief executive of Orpheus Sinfonia—the orchestra that performed the work during its previous London appearance—said the piece continues to evolve. "It's grown so much in terms of its recognition amongst the audience. And the piece itself has developed. It is evolving rather than standing still," she said. "That's exactly how it can be a living legacy of Master Kukai. "

"I can't name you a single other musical piece that is being utilized in such a way to share a belief, a story, a way of being, and that is being taken around the world to reach audiences in such a way," Taylor added.