Wednesday 20th May 2026, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Fenella Humphreys violin
Eoin Schmidt-Martin viola
Cara Berridge cello
James Turnbull oboe
Alex Jennings reader

Perpetuo is proud to appear as part of the Chiltern Arts Festival 2026 alongside acclaimed actor Alex Jennings in Water is the Softest Thing, an evocative evening of music, literature and poetry inspired by water and the natural world.
An evening by the Thames, winding moving, thought-provoking extracts of literature through a programme inspired by water and the natural world. Music from Schubert, Sibelius, Mozart and Sally Beamish pairs with texts from both traditional and contemporary voices: Fenella Humphreys’ quartet, Perpetuo, partners with Alex Jennings (The Crown, The Lady in the Van) to mirror a river’s journey from ‘source to sea’ in this stunningly-curated programme.
Jean Sibelius — String Trio in G minor
Benjamin Britten — Arethusa 6 Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op. 49
Anna Berg — Earthward, Ever Circling – String trio – UK premiere
Jean Sibelius — Water Droplets
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor — Deep River
Schubert — String Trio in B flat
Sally Beamish — The Lone Seafarer
WA Mozart — Adagio for Cor Anglais and string trio
Adrian Sutton — Spring Masque
Robert Schumann — Mondnacht

plus literature and poetry readings to be announced
Tickets and event information can be found here: https://chilternarts.com/event/water-is-the-softest-thing-fenella-humphreys-alex-jennings-ensemble-perpetuo/
(Photo of Fenella Humphreys © Matthew Johnson)