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).

Our ongoing Leeds Songbook project adds new works to the song canon—poems about the people of Leeds, written by local poets and set to music by visiting composers, performed by our Leeds Song Young Artists. In 2027 the project will also include visual artworks reflecting the themes of these new songs, presented in an exhibition alongside the showcase performance.

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 exhibition showcase.