Lie Down and Listen
at Asthall Manor,
Oxfordshire, OX18 4HW
16/17/18 January 2026
Friday 28 August
Metamorphosis
12pm
3pm
7pm
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Saturday 29 August
Metamorphosis
12pm
3pm
7pm
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​Select from one day or two days of blissful 2hrs sessions​
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"A new frontier in wellness...utterly blissed out"
The Financial Times
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"De-stress and get your culture fix in one"
The Evening Standard
​Two days exploring potentiality, inner transformation and the experience of bringing the experience of the seemingly intangible qualities of heavenly voices and illuminating lightness into our awareness through sound and music.
Choose to attend sessions on both days or just one, whichever option is gently drawing you, is the right one for you.
Day 1
You'll be immersed in beauty, nature and vibrations as you lay down and feel the healing sounds of Tibetan bowls and hypnotic harp in 'Metamorphosis' featuring Philip Glass's five movement work played by harpist and SONY recording artist Cecilia de Maria.
Day 2
After opening yourself to shifting vibrations, you'll feel ready to let the illuminating light in, with music by Einaudi on harp played by incredible harpist Cecilia de Maria. In these sessions, you'll let yourself experience the expansiveness of joy, lightness and perhaps even child like wonder.
Session Duration: 120mins experience
Herbal Teas and refreshments served afterwards.
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Metamorphosis
An experience of potentiality and transformation.
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Sounds: Tibetan Bowls + Phillip Glass Harp Music + time for dwelling and gentle reflection​
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Illumination
Welcoming in the lightness, joy and mystery into your heart and being.
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Sounds: Tibetan Bowls + Classical Harp featuring Einaudi + time for dwelling and gentle reflection
Meet harpist Cecilia de Maria
The harpist Cecilia De Maria, UK born to Maltese parents, has signed an exclusive contract with Sony Music Masterworks. She entered the Purcell School at the age of 11 before moving on the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Daphne Boden,completing her Master’s Degree there with distinction.
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De Maria made her concerto debut in 2008 with the LSSO and that year also made it to the string finals of BBC Young Musician of the Year, where she was honoured with the award of the Walter Todds bursary.
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The Head of Sony Music Masterworks in the UK, Sarah Thwaites noted: ‘Cecilia is an extraordinarily talented performer and has the ability to instantly captivate any audience with her stunning musicianship and wide range of repertoire. I’m very excited to work with Cecilia and to help share her artistry with the world.’
Meet Pianist/Founder Christina McMaster
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Christina McMaster is a pianist, composer and founder of Lie Down & Listen – a truly creative spirit fascinated by deep listening and sound. She has performed at numerous festivals U.K and worldwide, featured on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3, Classic FM.
She attended the Purcell School and was selected as a young artist in residence at St John’s Smith square. She studied with Joanna MacGregor at The Royal Academy of Music and was later appointed an Associate. She has been a mentor for Geneva International Music Competition, UNESCO Day of the Girl, and given talks at Universities in the U.K and U.S, including at Cambridge and Oxford Universities. Christina has collaborated with numerous visual artists, leading composers and artists - including composers Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Freya Waley-Cohen, Folk music legend Peggy Seeger and electronic artist Tom Middleton.
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“An incredibly sensitive intuitive player who brings out the mystery and beauty of these pieces”
- Sarah Walker BBC Radio 3
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"One of the most talked about concerts of our festival."
Alistair MacGowan, Artistic Director of Ludlow Piano Festival
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She was a Visiting Associate at Kings College in London, developing the ‘Sound Mind’ project with Dr Sally Marlow which evolved into Lie down & Listen. In April 2023, Christina premiered her composition ‘Inner Temple’ inspired by 12th Century Priestess Hildegard Von Bingen. In December 2024, she premiered another of her compositions - ‘Sound Journey to Mars’ - created for Artist Luke Jerram’s ‘Mars’ installation at the Painted Hall in London. Christina has a particular interest in 20th Century French Music – and spent many summers studying in Aix-en-Provence with Bernard Flavigny.
