A breathtaking collaboration between acclaimed poet Len Pennie and BAFTA-winning composer Paul Leonard-Morgan is set to visit Greenock this summer, celebrating the release of their new album, Delusions.
Having teamed up to premiere the genre-defying body of work at Celtic Connections at the start of the year, the unlikely Scottish pair will release the album in full on 21 August, and are hitting the road to bring the spine-tingling record to new audiences.
On Saturday 22 August, Len and Paul will be performing at Beacon Arts Centre, as part of a Scotland-wide tour.
Delusions blends Len’s powerful poetry and spoken word with Paul’s soaring sounds, tackling themes of love, loss, wonder and rage.
With Len’s spoken word and Paul on piano and electronics, they will be joined by an acclaimed string quintet which comprises the likes of cellist Su-a Lee and violinist Greg Lawson.
The project is a convergence of two artists redefining contemporary Scottish art for a global audience. Len Pennie is one of Scotland’s most vital contemporary poets, while Paul Leonard-Morgan is a renowned Scottish composer whose work spans concert music, theatre, film, television and interactive media.
The album has been made entirely in Scotland and using homegrown talent throughout the process, from recording, mixing and mastering to touring and release.
Len is one of Scotland’s most vital contemporary poets. Her work champions minority languages, gives voice to survivors of domestic abuse, and challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness. Both of her bestselling poetry collections, poyums and poyums annaw, reached The Sunday Times charts, with poyums earning the Discover Award at the 2025 British Book Awards. She shares her work with a social media audience of more than 1.3 million.
Known for seamlessly blending orchestral writing with electronics, Paul is one of today’s most in-demand soundtrack composers in Hollywood and beyond. His credits include Dredd, Limitless, Tales from the Loop, Pretty Lethal, multiple collaborations with Philip Glass and the video game Cyberpunk 2077. He has been honored with a BAFTA Award, as well as Emmy, Ivor Novello, and World Soundtrack Award nominations, and worked with artists including No Doubt, Simple Minds, Texas, Mogwai, Isobel Campbell and Snow Patrol with commissions from the National Theatre of Scotland and the BBC SSO. His first ballet commission, by The National Ballet Of Canada, will premiere in September this year.
