Sounds exciting! I'm swooning a bit, but I'll try to give you a good answer...

First off, the opportunity sounds great, jump on it! Don't let Mted bring you down... he'll get over it!

Secondly, you must have moved someone with your songwriting, or you wouldn't have been invited... So go with what you've got!

Thirdly, though there are many good pointers in the above threads, some of the suggestions could be distracting to your approach... pick and chose what's right for you... Keep it simple!

It sounds like a very sophisticated group, centering on literary achievements... so I would hint at content, but I'd focus on how easy it is to put poetry to music! Since you will be amoung people of letters, you could even use some existing poetry... one of the class's commpositions, or a classic, and make music with em!

Lastly, making songs is easy. Anyone who leads people to suspect that they probably don't have what it takes, is a turd. Making up songs is for everybody! Oh! and dont leave anyone out, could be that the shy one in the corner will make everyone's day! ttr