Music & Words: An Evening of English Song

Enjoy a stunning performance by the City of Stoke-on-Trent Symphony Orchestra and vocalist Jordan Harding. They will take you on a musical journey through English song and stories linked to famous authors, poets, and composers, including some new discoveries. The concert begins at 7 pm, but arrive by 6:15 pm for a pre-concert talk with Artistic Director Joe Hearson, who will introduce the evening and discuss the music's inspiration from poems and words.

What to Expect

6.15 pm

• Pre-concert talk with Artistic Director Joe Hearson
• Audience Q&A
• 60-minute concert performance

7 pm - 8 pm Concert Programme

• Songs of Travel (Ralph Vaughan Williams, Robert Louis Stevenson)
• You Frail, Sad Leaves (Thomas Pitfield)
• Winter Evening: Dunham Park (Thomas Pitfield)
• Let us Garlands Bring (Gerald Finzi, William Shakespeare)
• Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal (Roger Quilter, Lord Alfred Tennyson)
• Down by the Salley Gardens (Benjamin Britten, William Butler Yeats)

Concert running time is approximately 60 minutes

About the Venue

Wheelchair Access: The main ground floor is fully accessible via ramps. Note that specific historical areas like the Peace Chapel and belfry require using stairs.

Toilets: An accessible toilet and general toilets are available onsite.

Parking: A car park is located directly opposite the building on Kingsway (ST4 1JB).

Additional Support: Assistance dogs are welcome.

Public transport links: The bus stop on Glebe Street is served by Routes 24 (D&G), 23 & 40A (First Potteries). The nearest Railway Station is Stoke-on-Trent Railway, a 7-minute walk.

Arrival time: Doors open 30 minutes before the event

About Stoke Book Festival

Join us for a week of inspiring author talks, creative workshops, performances and community events, bringing readers and writers together from across Stoke-on-Trent and beyond.

Stoke-on-Trent is a city built on creativity, craftsmanship and community. This October, we’re bringing those qualities together for the Stoke Book Festival.

We break down barriers to participation, champion books, inspire creativity and create opportunities for residents and visitors to connect with literature, learning and culture.

By bringing together national and local talent, schools, libraries, businesses and communities, our goal is to improve engagement with reading and support youth literacy development in Stoke-on-Trent.

To discover more visit: www.StokeBookFestival.co.uk

Good to Know

• Please arrive 15–20 minutes before the event
• Late entry may not be possible once the event has started
• Tickets are non-refundable except in the event of cancellation by the Festival
• Photography may be taken during the festival
• Books can be purchased on the day (subject to availability)

About the Line Up 

Joe Hearson | Artistic Director of CSSO 

Joe Hearson is a British conductor, musical director, composer and educator, and the Founder, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of the University of Manchester, he founded the orchestra in 2019 with the vision of establishing Stoke-on-Trent's first professional orchestra, leading its relaunch as the City of Stoke-on-Trent Symphony Orchestra in 2025. Alongside directing the orchestra's concert and education programmes, Joe is a choral conductor for the Hallé, whose workplace choirs have twice won the Hallé Workplace Choirs Competition, and regularly guest conducts community orchestras. He is a passionate advocate for British music and contemporary composers, having led several world premieres and performances of rarely heard repertoire.

Jordan Harding is a British baritone who studied at the University of Manchester before completing a Master's in Vocal Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has performed extensively across the UK and Europe, appearing with companies including the National Theatre Mannheim, Opera Holland Park, IF Opera and Buxton International Festival. Alongside his operatic career, Jordan is an accomplished concert and recital singer with a particular passion for English song and the Great American Songbook. A frequent soloist with the City of Stoke-on-Trent Symphony Orchestra, he also performs repertoire spanning musical theatre and popular music of the early twentieth century.