POEMS celebrating 20 influential northerners from across the centuries are being set to music by a Cononley composer and conductor.

'Bard of Barnsley' Ian McMillan has penned the prose as a salute to figures ranging from Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë to Guy Fawkes and Fred Trueman.

And the works will be performed as a blend of narration and an original orchestral composition next month.

The soundtrack has been composed by Ben Crick, founder and conductor of Skipton Camerata.

A Northern Score was commissioned by Skipton Camerata and will be premiered at Skipton Town Hall on Friday, November 22, to mark the professional orchestra's 20th anniversary.

The evening will include a pre-show discussion with Ben and Ian, the event narrator.

Ian says: "It's a wonderful project. I think of the finished article as 20 steps across the Yorkshire landscape, each one singing with the power of possibility and joy of creativity. I'm proud of the words I've written for the pieces.

"I recall as a boy listening to Are You Lonesome Tonight? and in particular the spoken section, and ever since I’ve been in love with the idea of words spoken over music."

Ben has collaborated with Ian in the past – on projects including the Baht ’At Variations, recorded with Skipton Camerata during lockdown – and describes the latest link-up as "really special".

"This piece tells the story of Yorkshire through 20 amazingly varied men and women," he says.

"The thing that has always excited me about being a musician is telling stories, which is why I love working with Ian. And it's also a great way to celebrate 20 years of Skipton Camerata. It feels a really special thing to be part of."

He adds: "As founder and artistic director of Skipton Camerata, I look back on its history with immense pride.

"It was 20 years ago, sitting in The Narrow Boat pub in Skipton, when I came up with the idea of starting a professional orchestra that would make national-level music in the town. Who would have thought then that we would have reached this point? It's home to fantastic music making, has delivered hundreds of concerts, and collaborated with international soloists. We’ve done remarkable education work with thousands of young people, and some really interesting and original projects."

Tickets for A Northern Score are available at skiptoncamerata.com or from the Skipton Town Hall box office.