Terra Coda
Benji Bower & The Terra Collective Orchestra

Renowned composer, pianist, producer, musical director and artist, Benji Bower unites Bristol’s most acclaimed musicians to form a 60-piece ensemble, The Terra Collective Orchestra. Together, they present their debut album, ‘Terra Coda’, an orchestral ode to Earth.

‘Terra Coda’ has been a lifelong project for Benji, intertwining exceptional musical depth with his unwavering commitment to pivotal environmental concerns. Conceptually rich, it explores musical, political and environmental dimensions, reflecting Benji’s journey and meticulous attention to detail. The Terra Collective Orchestra boasts an impressive array of experience, having worked for, produced, engineered or toured with renowned artists such as The Heritage Orchestra, Portishead, Bonobo, PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, This Is The Kit, Alice Russell, Anoushka Shankar, Peter Gabriel, Elbow, Madness, John Rutter, Sam Cooke, John Williams, Cinematic Orchestra, Paraorchestra and many more. The collective debuted in May 2022 with a three-night residency in Bristol at “The Mount Without”, part of the Mayfest Arts Festival. This residency, featuring 50 orchestra members, sold out every night with 200-250 attendees. Following this success, they performed at the Falmouth Arts Festival, delivering two sold-out shows for 300 people each night, again with 50 performers.

‘Terra Coda’ is a portmanteau that elegantly combines “Terra”, resonating with the Latin for ‘earth’ and “Coda”, a musical term signifying both conclusion and genesis, therefore embodying the orchestral resonance of earthly endings, new beginnings and transformative symphonies. Framed by the Taoist five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water – ‘Terra Coda’ is interconnected, relating to all aspects of human nature and our environment. Benji elaborates on his creative process explaining “each element holds an emotional characteristic”. Wood embodies the cycle of birth, youth, vision, frustration and growth. Fire ignites emotions of love, passion, sadness, confusion and isolation. Earth resonates with integrity, worry, empathy, intention and transformation. Metal represents the weight of grief, the act of letting go, justice, inspiration and the paternal role. Water flows with the wisdom of old age, the fears that come with it, moments of calm, the vastness of the sea and the cycle of rebirth, akin to the nurturing embrace of a mother.

The double single “Artemis / Whale Lament” served as the first offering from the album. “Artemis” embodies Benji’s profound empathy during a period when his close friend’s mother was terminally ill. In contrast, “Whale Lament” draws inspiration from the wisdom of old age, the grandeur of whales and the interplay between tension and tranquility.

“Love Letter” features the talents of artist and producer Kathleen Frances. With a history of collaborative writing, this track is the only song on the album not exclusively written by Benji. He characterises the song as “beautiful yet crushing”, describing it as a heartfelt apology to the earth that delves into themes of love, passion, sorrow, confusion, solitude and youth. Kathleen’s lyricism embodies a raw and poignant style, mirrored in her delicate vocal delivery, which consistently left Benji astounded.

Album opener “Eyes Wide Shut” sets the stage with a powerful exploration of themes. Benji envisioned this inaugural piece emerging from a liminal space, almost before time itself – a primordial soup of nothingness. He describes it as “the world waking up at dawn, with things beginning to unfurl and breathe. This is the birth.” Midway through the album, “Emergence” tackles themes of anger, rage, frustration and indignation, tracing a relationship’s trajectory from a hopeful beginning to a tragic end. The first part is expectant and dreamlike, full of yearning, while the second part embodies anger, rage and despair. Benji aimed to craft a vivid narrative through music, mostly without lyrics. He sought to create something epic, reflecting the earth’s enormity and our current crises. His goal was to evoke strong emotions, allowing listeners to feel deeply and ultimately let go. For Benji, the album is a phantom limb – an inseparable part of himself, making the project a cathartic process to exorcise his demons and connect emotionally with his audience. The album’s closing track, “Perpetuus” featuring Melanie Marshall, is described by Benji as “the most immense and emboldening piece I have ever written and performed.”

Benji began curating The Terra Collective Orchestra after receiving the Develop Your Creative Practice (DYCP) grant from Arts Council England (ACE). Drawing on local talent from the Bristol music scene, he enlisted the expertise of orchestra manager Anneka Sutcliffe to streamline operations. As compositions evolved, so did the scale of the sessions, culminating in a 25-piece string rehearsal to explore initial ideas. Recognising the need for further support, Benji enlisted assistance from renowned theatre producers Impossible-Producing, to secure a substantial ACE grant to bring the project to fruition.

Benji has scored the soundtrack for Wilke Branson’s multi-award-winning film ‘Tom’ plus The Old Vic’s ‘A Monster Calls’ which was nominated for ‘Outstanding Achievement In Music’ at the Olivier Awards. Benji has toured with Bonobo and Alice Russell and worked closely with artist and producer Kathleen Frances. He has also remixed a variety of artists including LTJ Bukem, The Heritage Orchestra and Hundred Strong, produced four critically acclaimed albums under the alias Unforscene and recorded a BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale session for Gilles Peterson Worldwide.