Premiere of new piece for Horn and Piano

I am premiering a new piece this evening at a lovely church near Great Yarmouth. Martham church is one of those architectural jewels hidden away in an almost forgotten corner of England. Just a few miles from the coast, it stands strong and proud against the open skyline, and inside it is genuinely imposing yet thoroughly warm and welcoming. I am putting on a concert in aid of the church with my friend Linda Purdy. Linda plays the E flat horn beautifully and the instrument's mellow singing quality is just right to evoke the simple beauty of the Broadland area. The new piece is called Womack Water and we are playing it towards the end of the evening. Linda will play other ‘concert’ pieces and I am playing the Widor Toccata and some Handel on the organ.

‘After the Rain’ on A level Dance Syllabus

I have had many enquiries from A level dance students about my piece After the Rain. This piece which features on the album Fair Albion appears on the A level syllabus as one of the choreography questions. For the interest of those who are taking the exam (and other readers of this news page, of course) I wrote After the Rain about five years ago while living in a boathouse on the River Thames at Maidenhead. It was inspired first by the gentle rain falling on the murky water, and then by the feeling of 'freshness' and the beautiful sweet smell once the rain had stopped.

I am delighted that so many young people are finding my music an inspiration for the medium of dance - and I wish you all every success with your A level.

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.

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.

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.

Filming of Eye to Eye

Following the success of The Eye to Eye concert at The Cadogan Hall in September, a generous American patron arranged for my piece - along with The Holy City - to be recorded and filmed in the same venue in front of a private audience. This time I conducted, and it was a real joy to work with the English Chamber Orchestra and the highly talented young Palestinian soprano Dima Bawab. I will soon be able to post some of the film on my website - so watch this space.

Fair Albion made CD of the Week on Classic FM

Last week, Fair Albion was Classic FM's CD of the Week. Every morning between 10 and 10.30, Simon Bates played a different track from the album, and there was a terrific response from the Classic FM listeners. It is always a strange but wonderful experience to hear your music being transmitted over the airwaves, and I consider it a great honour to have had two albums making it to CD of the Week during a six month period.