I have been passionate about music ever since I joined my father’s choir at the local church at the age of six. I have an English Degree from Oxford University and I recently retired from the BBC, where I made programmes for Radio 3, Radio 4 and BBC World Service, mostly about music. A former solicitor, I was a semi-professional classical baritone and played guitar in various rock bands with my brother.
As a teenager, I was a keen fan of prog rock artists like Yes, Pink Floyd, Van der Graaf Generator, U.K. and Peter Hammill. At Oxford, I sang in the choir at Worcester and Exeter Collages. I moved to London where I sang with the London Oriana Choir and the BBC Symphony Chorus. When I returned to my home city of Manchester, I sang with the Hallé Choir, and was lucky enough to sing at the opening night of the Bridgewater Hall. I also performed as a baritone soloist and sang with various chamber choirs.
In 2015 I went to meet Steven Wilson for a radio programme I was making. I discovered his music and that of his band Porcupine Tree, and this rekindled my love of prog rock. In the last few years I have been to prog gigs by Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Van der Graaf Generator, Yes, The Mars Volta, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Beatrix Players, iamthemorning, Rick Wakeman, Haken and Devin Townsend, many of which are reviewed on my Blog. I have also seen Prince, Björk, Radiohead, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode and George Michael amongst many others.
I continue to enjoy classical concerts as well and have recently enjoyed attending concerts by the BBC Philharmonic, The Hallé, and Manchester Collective and at the BBC Proms in London.
My first book, published by SonicBond in the ‘On track…’ series, was on the music of Porcupine Tree, who I finally got to see live for the first time in November 2022.