Saturday 30 January 2010

New Commission for Lincoln Cathedral

I am thrilled to have a written a new piece for the choir of Lincoln Cathedral. I was commissioned to write a special anthem for the visit of The Archbishop of Canterbury to mark the centenary of the death of Bishop Edward King. This is to take place on Saturday March 6th. Entry to the occasion is by ticket only.

My brother Andrew provided the text. My Dearest Wish is based on the last letters from Edward King to the people of his diocese and the recurrent theme is ‘My dearest wish - be Christ-like Christians’. We are thinking of developing the same text into a hymn, using the melodic material from the anthem. I am really looking forward to being present on the 6th March and hearing Lincoln’s wonderful choir premiere the anthem with accompaniment from the mighty Father Willis organ.

Monday 25 January 2010

Classic FM Hall of Fame

Classic FM's Hall of Fame is the biggest survey of its kind, asking people to vote for their three favourite pieces of Classical Music. I had the honour of being the highest new entry on two occasions, and my best known track Quanta Qualia did particularly well last year. It's well worth registering your three favourite Classical pieces and making your opinion count. Click here to visit the relevant page.

Thursday 7 January 2010

Ambassador for the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts

I am deeply honoured to have been asked to become an ambassador for The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts. This charity carries out invaluable work in many areas of the arts - particularly music. Through the charity, I hope to reach out to underprivileged children and help them discover their creative abilities. I had the opportunity of witnessing one of the Foundation’s orchestral days last year which culminated in a concert at the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome. The atmosphere was electric, and I was reminded how much natural creative energy lies within young children. Somewhere out there are our future composers, poets, artists, architects and novelists, and it will be a great privilege and joy to be part of an organisation which aspires to discover them.