The Manchester Carols is a cycle of poems by Carol Ann Duffy set to music by Sasha Johnson Manning. Premiered in 2007 at the Royal Northern College of Music, the aim of the writers was to make the carol contemporary again and to reawaken us to its potential power in the 21^st century. In this they have succeeded remarkably well, producing thought-provoking poetry which engages with the modern world and music which is instantly appealing and eminently singable.

Born in 1955 in Glasgow, Dame Carol Ann Duffy DBE is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Britain's Poet Laureate in May 2009.

Born in 1963, Sasha Johnson Manning is an English composer specialising in vocal pieces. She graduated in voice and cello from the Royal Academy of Music in 1985. She has worked as a full-time soprano and composer ever since.