Imagine, first, a forest full of snow…

This is the story of a unique generation of violins. It begins in the silence of snow-filled forests and brings us to the chatter and traffic of a twenty-first century city.

It is the story of their maker, Antonio Stradivari, the sparkling young prodigy who did his greatest work late in life, lifting music from the silence of all he had lost. It is also the story of all of us. Of the passions that flicker through our lives, and what might unfold if we chase them. It is the story of how our greatest loves will outlive us, if only we will let them go.

Intimate and eternal, Songs of Snow and Silence by Jen Emery captures the solitary song of a woodlark, the crackle of a campfire and the echoing laughter around it. This is a voice steeped in ancient wisdom, made fresh by a grit and bright wit. Loreto Ruiz’s exquisite paintings bring alive in colour and movement the music, time, and emotions that shape this work, offering a soaring beauty and empathy that transcends words.

Have you lived long enough yet to know what it is to wake, stiff and cold before dawn by a burned down fire?

Priyanga Burford

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