The recent death of Sir Harrison Birtwistle (in April 2022) has left a huge gap, in my life and in the musical world at large; he was a...

It's New Year's Day 2022, and I’ve just reached the final double bar line in what is possibly my longest and most complex piece to date;...

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has forced musicians to adapt to remote working, often making music independently of one another. ...

The lockdown has proved to be a difficult time for all musicians, particularly for freelance performers, and the members of bands and...

I must confess, I thought this would be easier! Composing, for me, is generally a solitary practice...

2019 was a year of many musical highlights. During the year there were several first performances, and, very gratifyingly, many repeat...

2018 has been a year with many highlights and I must express my huge thanks to the many people who have made it all happen over the...

Music of A Thousand Breaths is unique in my output: it occupies a very special place. The performance took place almost exactly one month...

I am still an avid collector of CDs; I do listen to lots of music online but when I hear something I really like I will generally try to...

My song setting for soprano and piano ‘The Dark Gate’ is based around five poems by David Vogel. First performed in York (5th August...

Before we get too far into 2017 I would just like to record my sincere thanks to all of the fantastic performers who sang, played and...

The summer of 2016 saw two premieres of new works, both of which took place in York. In June, Tlatelolco (for the unusual ensemble of...

I first heard the Albany Piano Trio in 2014 when they presented a programme comprising only the work of female composers. I was...

I first met Peter Sheppard Skaerved in the 1980s, when I was RVW Composer in Residence at Charterhouse and he was a rising star of the...

It was one of those rare moments in life when, if I possessed a 'pause button' for real life I would have pressed it to stay in that...

I’ve just completed a fanfare which is to be played at the investiture of York St John University’s new Vice-Chancellor, Karen Stanton,...

August is often a quiet month in terms of performances and it certainly turned out to be so in 2015. But ‘behind the scenes’ there is...

July started with a tremendous premiere of Gentle, given by Ana Beard Fernandez (soprano) and Zoë Craven (marimba) at the Late Music...

Without a doubt, the highlight of June 2015 was my trip to the Czech Republic, where Strata was being recorded by the Brno Philharmonic...

May proved to be a busy month, as usual. ‘Strike’ (for flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano) received its UK premiere at the...