Re:Verse is an exciting collaborative project exploring how the past can be reimagined through contemporary voice and sound.
Working with poet Emily Holtom, the project pairs historic poems by male writers with newly written responses, creating a dialogue across time. These paired texts become the starting point for new music – from intimate vocal settings to choral and instrumental works – shaped by both the original and the reply.
At its heart, Re:Verse is about response: how we engage with what has come before, and how new perspectives can reshape familiar narratives. By placing historic and contemporary voices side by side, the project opens up space for reflection, reinterpretation, and renewed listening.
The project is currently in its research and development phase, supported by Arts Council England. This phase focuses on selecting texts, developing new poetic responses, and exploring musical ideas, culminating in a work-in-progress sharing.
About Christof R Davis
Christof R Davis is an award-winning composer whose work spans intimate solo piano, neo-classical, ambient, soundtrack and experimental music. His work has received over 5 million streams and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 6 Music, as well as featured in BBC Sounds mixes including The Sleeping Forecast. He has been commissioned by organisations including The Belgrade Theatre, Elmdon Choral Society, Halesowen Choral Society and The Heart of England Singers.
About Emily Holtom
Emily Holtom is a West Midlands-based poet and creative producer whose work explores voice, human connection and the reimagining of narrative through language. Her practice spans page and performance, including her “pop-up poetry” work, in which she writes custom poems on demand on a vintage typewriter in response to conversations, memories and shared moments