"It felt like I'd been transported back in time"
How Did You First Become Interested in Music and Conducting?
From a young age music has always been a big part of my life, but what really sent me on my path was joining Blackburn cathedral Choir under Richard Tanner - there we performed on TV, radio, for VIPs and in some pretty large performance spaces.
Was There A Particular Moment When You Realised Conducting Was The Career You Wanted To Pursue?
I was in year 7 (the first year of secondary school) when i took part in a period performance of Handels messiah by candleight and I remember thinking- just wow. The musicians were in period costume, even with the powdered wigs. It felt transported back in time.
Who Has Been The Biggest Influences On Your Musical Journey?
This is a tough one, so many people have influenced my musical journey over time. Certainly, when he was still alive it was my grandfather - despite him not being musical he was always checking on my progress and what I was doing, always asking how I was getting on and eager to listen to me practice. But in the musical world Richard Tanner as my first proper director he played a large part in shaping my early musical life. I do have to say watching performances by Sol Gabetta and Alison Balsom, with how the approach works. This is a huge thing for me - how do we approach music. Naturally conductors such as Simon Rattle, Sergei Celibedache, Myung-whun Chung and others have played an important role in shaping my path.
Who Has Been The Biggest Influences On Your Musical Journey?
The goal for this ensemble was to provide young musicians with vital career experience, utilising older musicians with decades of experience. It was designed to be a melting pot of ideas and possibilities. Ensuring everyone benefits from being a member.
How Would You Describe Lancashire Sinfonia's Sound?
The sound that Lancashire Sinfonia produces is an exciting and energetic sound full of emotional nuances and a depth of dynamic thinking. Dynamics are a huge factor in making music not just notes on a page but a connection felt by the audience and Lancashire Sinfonia has made huge strides towards this.
What Have Been Some Of Your Favourite Moments With The Orchestra So Far?
I can’t possibly choose, in performance certainly the end of Mendlessohn 5 - I was caught tearing up because of the realisation of a whole years work. It felt the journey made sense.
But every week is a pleasure, I love rehearsals because we have a laugh and fun but still realise we are there to make music. Which actually makes the process easier, we aren’t just a group of people who meet on Thursday evenings and play but a group of friends.
Is There A Piece You've Always Wanted To Conduct But Haven't Yet Had The Opportunity?
I have a soft spot for opera, I would love to put on an opera... Handel’s Guilio Cesare.
Do You Have A Favourite Composer, Or Does That Change Over Time?
This changes all the time, I have weak spots for Mendelssohn, Handel & Dvorak but which composer is my favourite is a fluctuating thing - Lloyd-Webber to Grieg to Berwald to Tchaikovsky and more…
How Do You Approach Balancing Well-loved Classics With Lesser-known Works?
I love putting on less known works, it’s so important to shine a light on all music. There are so many great works that barely get noticed but are arguably better than some of the ‘classics’. So my method is putting one lesser known work with two well know works, for example - Dvorak’s Hero Song (beautiful and powerful but not well known) with Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite and Symphony No.1.
What Do You Feel Needs To Be Done To Grow Classical Music Audiences?
Massive steps have been taken to create a more accessible atmosphere for classical music. It’s great to see more and more ‘ordinary’ people engaging with classical music. We need to keep building this by using social media and other mediums to bring awareness not just to avid concert goers but people who are less likely to buy a ticket.
Our last concert we had someone who had never been to a ‘classical’ concert before - now they want to buy a season ticket. They loved it. This is why we do what we do - to make an emotional experience.
What Advice Would You Give To Young Or Aspiring Conductors Or Musicians?
Persevere, music is a hard industry and even harder to make it a living especially for classical musicians. Make your own ensembles, grab every opportunity you can. Be proactive, if this is your passion then chase it with everything you’ve got.
