After 20 years in the protection of Chiron the Minotaur, Jason returns to his homeland to claim his throne. However, King Pelias (who had previously killed Jason’s father) refuses to abdicate - informing the young Greek that he will only do so once the Golden Fleece is in his possession. And so the epic journey begins, with Jason heading out to sea aboard the ‘Argo’ to retrieve his prize.
Accompanied by a fine crew of ‘Argonauts’ his path is fraught with danger - involving battles with flying Harpies, ‘Talos the giant’ and an army of regenerated warriors. It’s not all bad, however, for along the way he meets and marries Medea, with whom he lives happily ever after. Or does he?
In May 2014, Nigel Dalton-Ginever (aka Ian White) saw Rick Wakeman’s 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth' at the Bournemouth International Centre. The first half of the evening consisted of an account of the difficulties faced during the creation of the original 1974 album, and Rick’s story of triumph over adversity had an inspiring effect on the Brighton-based composer.
By the end of July 2014, the narration for 'Jason and the Argonauts' (JATA) was complete and the first notes had been written. A visit to Herbie Flowers followed and after hearing the opening two pages of music, the legendary bass player made the task of securing a performance his personal mission.
In May 2015 JATA premiered as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival (featuring two vocalists, narrator and 7-piece band - with Herbie himself playing his legendary Fendor bass), where it received a standing ovation and critical acclaim.
Over the following months a studio concept recording was produced - but another live performance of JATA was well over due. Its second and third public outings therefore took place in July 2017, alongside the release of the double album.
