A few years ago I spotted that 2025 would mark the 100 th anniversary of Erik Satie’s death, and – since Satie had proved to be hugely inspirational to composers of his own time (and especially to those French composers collectively known as Les Six ) I began to wonder how some of today’s composers might respond creatively to his work and ideas. And so - in conversation with friends - dreamed up a project where many composers, inspired in some way by Satie’s legacy, were inv

A significant number of my pieces have found their inspiration in the distant past, particularly in the medieval history of York. For example, my choral ‘Apocalypse’ sets a text associated with the Prick of Conscience window at All Saints, North Street, the wind quartet ‘Grotesques’ drew upon the carved faces in the Chapter House of York Minster, and, most recently ‘A York Passion’ sets words from the York Mystery Play cycle. It isn’t just about exploring the past - I like t

I’m currently preoccupied with writing a new trio for Amabile (a trio of clarinet, cello and piano) and wanted to share my thoughts as...

The last couple of months of 2023 has been an amazing time for me, with so much going on, and I felt the need to set a few words down...