I was born in London and have lived here all my life. When I was young I wanted to be a composer but people who were older and wiser told me “there’s no money in it, you’ll have a hard life”. So I went to work in the city and put my dreams on hold. But the songs stayed with me, and slowly a storyline developed.

Over the years I had the good fortune to travel widely and meet people from many different cultures. It was only natural that those encounters would shape the way I think about the world and my place in it. And gradually, the lyrics that I had written as a twenty year old changed into something more considered.

Soon these songs will become part of a musical about a refugee camp. Where better to examine the different ways that people have of looking at life? Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing some of the playlist and lyrics here with you. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed composing.