I entered into a composition competition in the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2014. It was a part of something called the F​ estival of Love​ p​resented by Southbank in London, a festival celebrating the enactment of the Same Sex Couple Act in the United Kingdom. This issue is close to my heart as my partner is from the UK and we are as gay as a row of rainbow striped teepees.
During the festival, members of the public passing through Southbank Centre were asked to write down a couple of sentences about something they love. Those texts were then posted on the internet and composers were invited over a period of just 24 hours, to set them to music for a cappella female vocal trio ​Ju​ice​. ​​​I was absolutely thrilled that one of my compositions, G​​oing Somewhere​​, was selected for performance.
Although I will likely never meet the authors of these texts Ella from Brixton, nor Susie from Hammersmith, (I mean, they didn’t even leave their surnames!) I like to think I have a creative connection to them. Just like Ella, i really enjoy being on my little island-of-me as I walk through the city or sit on a train, the stimulus of the flow of energy and people around me is something I very much enjoy. I also really love Susie was able to find her place in the world at trapeze school. This world is so richly diverse in its opportunities, there’s surely got to be something for everyone.
