When I dealt with set theory, I could never make it be the music that I wanted.

Music is such a problem in the time it takes.

I don't have ideas so much as there are things which constantly evolve... there are various threads or layers, if you like, which change.

There are rhythmic ideas which sometimes only work up to a point. In writing there are moments when it just comes off the page, it's not just a collection of notes.

This sounds horribly pretentious, but I like to think that if music hadn't existed, I could have invented it.

The thing about influence is that any composer worth anything will give you the same names.

People say my music is English. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's not me writing English music, but that English music is becoming more like me.