A MUSICAL tribute to esteemed late songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen will be held in Otley next month.

The artist's works had provided a stimulating and contemplative soundtrack to many people's lives for nearly five decades until his death last November.

Sometimes viewed as a cultural outsider and never quite part of any trend, his music and words managed to instead appeal across the usual boundaries - and were admired by everyone from Nick Cave and Bob Dylan to Nirvana and U2.

Cohen, following a sad pattern that emerged in 2016, released his final album, the critically acclaimed You Want It Darker, just weeks before his death.

Tribute performer Keith James will cover a stack of classics from his back catalogue, including Famous Blue Raincoat, Sisters of Mercy, Suzanne and Hallelujah, when he takes the stage in Otley on Saturday, February 11.

There will also be recitals of poems by Federico Garcia Lorca, one of Cohen's biggest influences, which James has set to music.

A veteran of more than 300 performances delivering faithful renditions of Cohen's work, James has described covering his hero's songs as one of the greatest honours of his life.

He said: "‘The poetry and music of Leonard Cohen has been a constant friend throughout many of our lives.

"Within every line of his writing, he has been challenging us to listen more carefully, speak more thoughtfully, think more deeply and recognize our own fragility.

"Leonard Cohen is a man of grace and this world will miss him very much."

Tickets for the Courthouse show, which starts at 8pm, cost £12 and can be booked by visiting otleycourthouse.org.uk, calling (01943) 467466 or popping into the Courthouse, on Courthouse Street.