As a composer at a point where I can absolutely pick and choose what I want to do, I don't want to write about anybody I don't care about.

The next few years are going to be horrendous in the UK. The last thing we need is a Somali pirate-style raid on the few wealth creators who still dare to navigate Britain's gale-force waters.

It doesn't stand up to huge intellectual scrutiny.

No matter what they tell you, no matter what they do, no matter what they teach you, what you believe is true.

I often think of random melodies. And I pretty much hear in my head what I want to do with the orchestra as I'm writing on the piano.

We don't have butlers. Obviously we have people who look after the houses, but I try not to run things formally.

Corny answer is of course is that everyone who wants musicals are children in different ways, aren't they? So you think of them in different ways. There are things of mine I'm sorry haven't come here.