“… 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).

A continuation of the acclaimed 2023 ‘A Leeds Songbook’, the Composers & Poets Forum adds further creative contributions to our song collection. Stories about the people of Leeds, told in poems by the people of Leeds, set to music by composers brought to Leeds and performed by our Leeds Lieder Young Artists. Firmly rooted in the locality, our songbook will draw many threads across disciplines. These Forums have been built on collaborations made over the Spring and workshops during the Festival. Come and hear the fruits of their labours in today’s exciting showcase!