Manchester Camerata, Leeds Festival Chorus, Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, St Peter's Singers

A special commemorative concert of glorious English music, in honour of those who gave their lives during the Somme offensive exactly a century ago. Over a million men perished between July and November 1916, including brilliant budding English composer George Butterworth, whose music will be played at the start of our musical homage to the fallen. The Banks of Green Willow, is a glorious, dream-like Idyll, composed just before the war began.

Karl Jenkins’ visionary work The Armed Man – a Mass for Peace, was commissioned by the Royal Armouries and uses texts from Latin originals, the Psalms of David and the poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson amongst other sources. The combined choirs of Leeds Festival Chorus, Leeds Philharmonic Chorus and St Peter’s Singers, along with Manchester Camerata, will be led by fantastic young conductor Ben Gernon, featured recently in BBC Music Magazine as its ‘Rising Star/Great Artist of tomorrow’.