The River Malago runs quietly beneath the streets of Bedminster — often overlooked, frequently rerouted and put underground across its history. A River’s Song brings it back to the surface through music.
A collaborative composition created with the people who live along the river’s course, the piece gathers the stories, rhythms, and memories of the Malago into a rich ensemble of cello, violin, clarinet, flute, piano, guitars, bass, percussion, voices, choir, and spoken word.
The project
From July to October 2025, composer Liam Taylor-West collaborated with the local community to bring the Malago to life in sound — a collaborative composition celebrating the stories, rhythms, and connections of the river, created and performed with the people who live along its course.
The piece focuses on several aspects of the river’s existence: its resilience to poor treatment and urban development, the nature found along its banks, and people’s memories of life by the water. Participants described the Malago as neglected and mistreated, yet carrying on regardless — a river that persists.
The music was recorded primarily at Philip Street Chapel in Bedminster and on location alongside the river, with additional sessions at Space In Time Studio, Windmill Hill City Farm, BBC Bristol, and participants’ homes.
The project was commissioned by Ginkgo Projects and funded by Watkin Jones plc, with support from Bristol City Council and Windmill Hill City Farm.
The river walk
The work lives beyond the concert hall. Visitors are invited to explore Bedminster on an immersive audio walk, listening to A River’s Song while tracing the Malago’s presence through the city — following a river that is mostly invisible, mostly underground, but still very much there.
Art and the Public Realm Bristol documentation ↗
Liam Taylor-West project page ↗
Credits
- Project lead & music arranger
- Liam Taylor-West
- Choir lead & arranger
- Kate Fletcher
- Recording engineer & producer
- Patrick Phillips
- Commissioned by
- Ginkgo Projects
- Funded by
- Watkin Jones plc, Bristol City Council
- Partners
- Windmill Hill City Farm