I was raised in a musical family. My father was a conductor and a teacher, and the main room of the house was as likely to be hosting rehearsals for a chamber orchestra as a procession of music students, singers, soloists or humble beginners. My youth was not so much misspent as hectic. Playing in a youth orchestra at the back of the second fiddles, thrashing the drums in a blues band, belting out riffs on the organ in a prog rock group. I learnt that if you try hard, most things are possible.
I have enjoyed a varied career that began in television and film production. I’ve met a few interesting people along the way – I once had lunch with Ayatollah Khomeini, tea with Colonel Gadaffi, dinner with Deng Xiaoping. A few others who weren’t tyrants – Bob Marley in Zimbabwe, Princess Diana, organising a gala night for the English National Ballet. In TV I worked with Mike Wallace, Barbara Walters, Bob Trout and Peter Jennings – interesting times.
I later concentrated on running a business in live event production. Summoning up a symphony orchestra to play outdoors to a crowd of thousands while the fireworks light up the night sky; creating the soundtrack and staging a Son et Lumiere inside a massive medieval castle; telling a Dickensian tale on a giant outdoor stage, with huge puppets and exploding wedding cakes – whatever the imagine could conceive and talented crews could create.
My performing days are over – nothing lasts for ever. But the music still keeps coming, so here it is, some old, some new. Listen to it, like it, don’t like it, use it or ignore it, it’s as you wish. But making it, that’s where the magic is.
