This is my first experience of The Cut in Halesworth – what a fabulous venue! If you have never been, please take a look and try to visit, it has a wonderful char: half industrial warehouse, half cozy community hub. The first Sonic Wave night of 2026 transformed the space into something far more expansive.
The night started early in the café with the Halesworth Harmony choir. It was a lovely, touch; there’s something about local voices echoing through the room that settles the soul before the ‘main’ show begins. For those of us who opted for the pre-gig meal, I was lucky enough to be invited, the delicious flavours were the perfect precursor to a night of global sounds.
Anna Mudeka took the stage first, and honestly, her energy is infectious. Performing solo, she brought the stories of the Shona people to life through her mbira (thumb piano) and a voice that seems to fill every corner of the room. Before each track Anna gave us a story, or piece of Zimbabwean history which added to the emotions of the songs.
She played several tracks from her new album, Ruvimbo (which means ‘Hope’), and it felt like exactly what we needed. The highlight for me was “I Have A Name”, a powerful, moving piece about migration and identity that left the room pin-drop silent.
Adding to the joy which was emanating from the stage, Anna had us participating with our ‘percussion’ skills aka clapping, and she gave us a display of traditional dancing, all while having her beautiful smile captivating us. She had this way of making a theatre audience feel like a group of friends sitting around a fire. It was a wonderful performance.
After the interval, the vibe shifted from storytelling to a deep, improvisational groove. Seated on the stage floor, Jesse Barrett (of Mammal Hands fame) is a wizard on the tabla. It’s rare to see someone bridge the gap between North Indian classical rhythms and modern UK jazz so seamlessly.
The Jesse Barret trio, featuring Peter Beardsworth on a dizzying array of sax, keys, and flute, and Owen Morgan on bass, toured their new album Adhyatma. It was delightfully hypnotic. At times, it felt like a meditative soundscape where you could just close your eyes and drift; at others, the polyrhythms were so propulsive you couldn’t help but lean in. The interplay between Peter’s electronics and Jesse’s percussion was particularly brilliant, blurring the lines between ‘ancient’ and ‘future.’ It was truly mesmerising.
Sonic Wave curated the perfect evening, it wasn’t just a concert; it was a reminder of how lucky we are to have world-class artistry landing right here in Suffolk.
If you missed this one, make sure you’re there for the next instalment on 2nd May with Lassie (who are excellent).