The Echoing Air is a new ensemble based in Somerset. The group was set up by Amy Carson and Timothy Dickinson with the intention of bringing high quality music to an area of the South West of England that is not necessarily catered for by major centres of culture.

To date, they have mounted several outdoor Opera productions in Wyke Champflower, including Acis & Galatea and The Fairy Queen. They reprised The Fairy Queen for Purbeck Arts Week at Carey’s Secret Garden in June 2025, where they were joined by a chorus of children from local schools. The workshop sessions to prepare those young people for the performance represented the first official education and outreach project for The Echoing Air.

They have also collaborated with Bruton Art Society on a recital of songs and poems on the theme of birds, during which artists were invited to sketch and exhibit work.

For three consecutive years, the ensemble has presented a chamber performance of Handel’s Messiah in St Mary’s, Bruton with baroque instrumentalists led by their Patron, the celebrated violinist Margaret Faultless. The event has become an important annual fixture in the local area.

Future plans include more work with children’s choirs; family workshops; further collaborations with artists and community choirs, and recording projects celebrating the rich musical and artistic heritage of the South West.