Composers & Poets Forum Showcase and Exhibition: A Leeds Songbook

“… what do you get if you speed-date composers from northern colleges with local poets? The answer is ‘A Leeds Songbook’, an inspiring portrait of the city and its inhabitants across the centuries. The atmosphere was relaxed but the buzz was electric…” — Clive Paget, The Guardian, June 2023

As part of the ongoing Leeds Songbook project, our Composers & Poets Forum adds new works to the song canon—poems by the people of Leeds, set to music by visiting composers and performed by our Leeds Lieder Young Artists. For 2026, the project expands to include visual artworks reflecting the themes of these new songs, presented in an exhibition alongside the showcase performance. This forms part of Music Leeds Us: Celebrating 60 Years of Music in Leeds, a special exhibition at Leeds City Museum (10 October 2025 – 28 June 2026), marking six decades of Leeds Conservatoire, one of our key partners.

Firmly rooted in the local community, the Songbook draws on months of collaboration and Festival workshops. Join us to experience the powerful results in this inspiring showcase.