Pete Townshend appears in the role of the Ferryman in a brand new multimedia project called The Seeker, a musical reinvention of Herrman Hesse’s classic novel Siddhartha.
The story of Siddhartha has been retold by Pete’s wife, composer and writer Rachel Fuller, who has put together a wonderful set of songs that will be released as a double album and accompanied by a beautifully illustrated 128-page hardback book. The album and book will be released on 7th November, and are available now for presale at theseekermusic.com.
According to the website, The Seeker follows the quest of the young Siddhartha as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment during the time of the Gautama Buddha. Alongside the complete lyrics and narrative from the album, Siddhartha’s adventures and search for wisdom are brought to new life by the striking artwork of Emilia Wharfe.
The album was recorded at Angel Studios in London, and features a fantastic lineup of artists, including narration by the late Christopher Plummer, and performances from Pete Townshend, Sir Elton John, Nakhane, Emeli Sandé, Layton Williams, Sunidhi Chauhan and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The music on The Seeker is a collaboration between Pete and Rachel, who began work on this project back in 2017, when recording sessions and workshops first took place. The track list has not yet been announced, but the album will include new orchestral arrangements of some of Pete’s early compositions, including his songs The Seeker and The Ferryman.
Pete's original version of The Seeker was first released in 1970 as a solo piece on Happy Birthday, a devotional album for his spiritual master Meher Baba. This recording was included as a bonus track on later CD releases of Pete's first solo album, Who Came First. The Who also put out a band version of The Seeker as a single in 1970, which was included on their 1971 album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy.
Pete wrote The Ferryman for an amateur production of Siddhartha that was staged at the Meher Baba Oceanic Centre during the opening celebrations in June 1976. He released a stunning recording of it on his solo compilation album Another Scoop in 1987 that featured orchestration by his father in law, legendary film composer Edwin Astley. In the liner notes for Another Scoop, Pete said, "The lyric tells of Siddhartha's first meeting with the ferryman who is to become his spiritual master. The song closes as the ferryman explains that Siddhartha must replace him and learn his art of selfless service."
To promote the album’s release, Pete will perform at the world premiere performance of The Seeker that will take place on 6th November at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Joining Pete at this special one night only event will be Alfie Boe (who starred in Classic Quadrophenia), Sunidhi Chauhan, Layton Williams, and Nakhane as Siddhartha. Also performing will be the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Choir of London, conducted by Robert Ziegler. The show will be narrated by a recording of Christopher Plummer.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on 12th September at https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/the-seeker/.
For more information, please visit theseekermusic.com.
