You can now listen to an excerpt of my Symphonic Message in memory of L. R. on the “Listen” page of this site. This BBC commission was premiered last year in Glasgow by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth. It ranges from the sombre to the exuberant, at times having the quality of a memorial or ritual, and at other times bursting out with joy and theatricality. The L. R. of the title is Lynda Ross, a drama teacher from Carleton High School, Pontefract, who had a huge impact on mine and many other students’ lives.
JONATHAN WOOLGAR 