My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don't meet. And then your friends say: It's terrific!

The theatre only knows what it's doing next week, not like the opera, where they say: 'What are we going to do in five years' time?' A completely different attitude.

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.

You either are or you're not.

I wrote music as soon as I knew notation.

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

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.