Browse our monthly catalogues to look back on LUUMS’ highlighted events!
September/October 2025
With our centennial year on the horizon, October (and the tail end of September) kicked off a monumental year for the LUU Music Society! With over 230 members under our belt, our committee and 11 ensembles have been preparing for the winter concert season – but it’s not all work! We’ve hosted an open mic night, a fresher’s mixer and a SOLD OUT intro party for our members!
Fresher’s Fair
Monday, 22nd September 2025
Along with other Music and Performance societies at the Leeds University Union, LUUMS hosted a stall at the Fresher’s fair to introduce (or re-introduce!) the society to fresher’s and returning students. Juliette, our publicity officer decorated the stall with photos from previous concerts and social events. Our communications officer, Ashruta designed a fresh batch of LUUMS stickers as freebies for our attendees!
The stall was incredibly successful, giving us the perfect platform to advertise our auditions week and give-it-a-go rehearsals for the year!
Rehearsals and Give-it-a-Go’s!
Early rehearsals of Chorus, Composers Collective, Sinfonia and Concert Band.
Our open ensembles hosted two weeks of Give-it-a-Go rehearsals, giving students the opportunity to attend taster rehearsals before becoming full time LUUMS members.
Socials!
Start of rehearsals also meant the start of a buzzing social calendar for LUUMS! As the society grows larger each year, the responsibilities of organising social events for over 200 members made for quite a heavy workload. As such, last year’s committee introduced a brand new role, the events secretary – to oversee larger society-wide events such as Intro Party and LUUMS ball.
Our members were treated to a fresher’s mixer to give new LUUMS members a chance to mingle with ensemble teams after a week of rehearsals.
Friday, 10th October 2025
Elinor, our social secretary organised an Open Mic and Slam Poetry Night in collaboration with the School of Music. The event (previously hosted by the University of Leeds International Concert Series) was the first official collaboration between LUUMS and the music school this year.
The school awarded cash prizes to the top 3 performers of the evening, Annabel Lauren, Tiffany Bisa and Faith Elizabeth.
Friday, 17th October 2025
Our brand new events secretary, Oliver organised and sold out one of our biggest events of the year – the LUUMS Intro Party! We had two featured artists, Emma Price and Cecily Graham performing Queen, Abba and a crowd favourite, Billy Joel’s Piano Man!
As is tradition, our final act of the night was the LUUMS exec band, formed of the 2025/26 committee, who performed a surprise set-list arranged by the Composers Collective!
November/December 2025
The second half of semester was jam-packed with socials, fundraisers, workshops and most importantly, our winter concert series!
Winter Concert Series
Concert season was upon us! Our 11 ensembles worked hard to prepare for their first concert of the year, featuring a range of challenging and diverse repertoire!
Highlighted repertoire
Brass Band
Mickey Newbury (arr. Goff Richards)
An American Trilogy
Chamber Choir
Lucy Walker
Give Me Your Stars
Chorus
Randy Newman (arr. Audrey Snyder)
When she loved me
Concert Band
Frank Ticheli
An American Elegy
Percussion Ensemble
Radiohead (arr. Caoimhe Linighan)
Creep
Sinfonia
Arr. Demetrio Bonvecchio
Mary Poppins: A Symphonic Fantasy
String Orchestra
Ilias Ho
A Walk through Bradford
Symphonic Choir
Franz Joseph Haydn
Insanae et Vanae Curae
Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Nigel Hess
East Coast Pictures
Symphony Orchestra
Aram Khachaturian
Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
November Socials!
Organised by our social secretary, Elinor Johns!
LUUMS String Orchestra: Delius Comes Home
Saturday, 15th November 2025
Our fantastic LUUMS String Orchestra was awarded a grant by the Frederick Delius to showcase a concert celebrating Bradford-born composer, Frederick Delius!
The ensemble presented a fantastic programme at Bradford Cathedral in addition to their termly winter concert at the University of Leeds!
Christmas Fundraiser
Monday, 8th December 2025
Izzy (fundraising officer) and Elinor (social sec) joined forces to host the first LUUMS wide fundraiser social! The evening was filled with an exciting range of festive activities, including a Christmas quiz, crafts, cookie decorating and a fantastic Tombola!
Over 20 Leeds-based companies donated prizes towards our tombola pool, which hugely boosted our fundraising efforts.
Thank you to the following organisations for their generosity:
- Hyde Park Book Club
- Hyde Park Picture House
- Pearl Bubble Tea
- Theatre Group Leeds
- Leeds Playhouse
- Waki Maki
- Great Food at Leeds
- Grounded and Co.
- Cafe Nero
- Boogaloo Wednesdays
- Indie Thursdays
- First Direct Arena
In collaboration with our fantastic charity partners Accessible Inclusive Music and Future Talent, we were able to spotlight the event and the impact of LUUMS outreach on our Instagram page to share with our current members and audiences!
Workshops
Sarah Hobson, our departmental representative organised two fantastic workshops for LUUMS members to develop their musicianship skills outside of rehearsals. The conducting workshop (lead by LUUMS alumnus Oliver Heath) launched the shadow manager and conductor scheme for this academic year, giving our members the opportunity to learn how to run an ensemble in a friendly environment!
We also hosted a Flute workshop, lead by renowned flautist and professor at the Royal Academy of Music, Carla Rees.
January-February 2026
After a festive break, LUUMS is back and busier than ever for the second semester!
27 January 2026
Fresh Start Festival Stall
31 January 2026
TriUni with Leeds, Durham and Warwick Uni‘s
Brass Bands!
7 February 2026
LUUMS’ wintry soup social!
Leeds University Union Music Society 