MERCURY SONGS – EMILY LEVY & MATTHEW BOURNE

Mercury Songs created by award-winning performer-composers Emily Levy & Matthew Bourne is inspired by Bradford-born Julia Varley - the 20th-century activist for women’s and worker’s rights, and is rooted in radical political history. This 5-piece ensemble weaves together rich vocal textures echoing traditional British folksong, and fearless jazz improvisation, telling a powerful story that draws you in, a story of empowered women with bold narratives of agency and defiance. 

Co-commissioned by Spitalfields Festival where it premiered in July 2026, Mercury Songs was created in short-form for the PRS New Music Biennial Festival 2025 weekends in Bradford 2025 and at London’s Southbank Centre, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and released by NMC Recordings.