Halfway through 2026 - six months of amazing music!

Hey folks!

It's hard to believe we're already halfway through the year...! Looking back over the past six months, it's been an incredibly busy, rewarding and inspiring time both in the studio and across Liverpool's wonderful musical community. I thought I'd try and write down just a few of the incredible things I've been up to.

We kicked off the year with fresh excitement as preparations began for the latest round of Liverpool Youth Choir auditions. It's always such a pleasure to see young singers taking their first steps into choral music, and the enthusiasm from the wonderful young folks in the auditions really set the tone for the months ahead.

On 17th January, members of the Liverpool Organist & Choirmaster's Association gathered for the Annual Dinner at the Radisson RED Hotel. It was a lovely evening of friendship and good conversation, made even more special by our guest speaker, Philip Rushforth from Chester Cathedral, who shared fascinating insights from his distinguished career. They very kindly invited me to be a part of their committee last year, and it's exciting to be a part of such an inspiring group of musicians!

Just two days later, on 19th January, there was more wonderful news as The Bluecoat School received its Royal College of Organists accreditation; I went along to see their young musicians perform some lovely music on two different (yes, two!) pipe organs! This recognition is a tremendous achievement, and really reflects the school's commitment to nurturing the next generation of organists.

Back in the studio, things have been busier than ever. The waiting list for slots is getting longer, with some days at max capacity, which is both exciting and humbling.

Students are exploring a fantastic variety of repertoire, from modern favourites such as Taylor Swift's Love Story and songs by Billie Eilish, right through to the timeless masterpieces of Beethoven, Coleridge-Taylor, and more. I really should make a full list of all the pieces people are working on...there's a lot! It's always a joy to watch pupils discover their own musical tastes and develop confidence at the keyboard, but lots of them have also started composing and working on improvisation too - it's inspiring me to get back into composing more!

One particularly noticeable development this year has been the growth in organ tuition. I'm delighted to welcome several new organ students to the studio, and it's wonderful to see renewed interest in this magnificent instrument

March brought a heartwarming Family Sharing event with the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Training Choir. These occasions are always a reminder of how music brings people together, and it was lovely to celebrate the hard work and progress of the young singers with their families.

Then came a real musical highlight in April. On 11th April, I had the pleasure of attending the concert given by Duncan Honeybourne, one of my previous piano tutors, at Ullet Road Church. It was simply incredible. Duncan's musicianship, artistry and storytelling through music made for a truly memorable evening - I can't wait to invite him back!

Community spirit has also been a major theme this year. I was delighted to team up with YPAS by donating free piano tuition for their Diamond Gala fundraiser. Supporting such an important organisation and helping young people through music is something very close to my heart, and I've heard nothing but praise for the incredible work that YPAS do, day in, day out.

At the beginning of May, I joined friends and colleagues from The Culture Network for their First Friday Social at the Royal Court Theatre. These gatherings are always a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow creatives and celebrate the vibrant cultural life of our city, and it was great to touch base with the folks at the heart of the Liverpool's cultural ecosystem.

I turned 30 this year - and so took a week break with close friends and family and it was so nice - middle of a forest, relaxing, and reconnecting with the people I love all in one house! I even did a zipline for the first time ever, and held a tiny owl...

At the end of the month, on Saturday 30th May, we enjoyed another excellent musical occasion with Colin Porter's organ recital. We were treated to a mixture of famous classics and a few ones which were new to me suc has Eric Coates "The Three Elizabeths" suite! The acoustic there is incredible and best of luck to them as they go through the rebuilding of their organ soon!

Looking ahead, plans are already well underway for a very special collaboration for the Pride Service at Ullet Road Church on 26th July. Singers from Liverpool Singers, Liverpool Socialist Singers, Wall of Sound, Liverpool Welsh Choral and Oriel Singers will be joining forces to perform Labi Siffre's powerful anthem Something Inside So Strong.

But something was missing - we still needed one last piece of music to be sung by the choir for a short, specific part of the service, and after a brief bit of pondering, I remembered about Andrea Gibson.

Andrea was a poet, activist, and all-round fount of inspiration who sadly passed away last year aged 49. Their words often touch on social injustice, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender norms; I've long been a fan of their work, particularly You Better Be Lightning. There's a poem in there called "Say Yes"; and it is such a rallying cry, particularly now when things are getting harder yet again for so many people in the queer community.

There's a few bits which really stand out to me:

This is for the no becoming yes

For scars becoming breath

For saying I love you to people who will never say it to us

For scraping away the rust and remembering how to shine

For the dime you gave away when you didn’t have a penny

For the many beautiful things we do

For every song we’ve ever sung

For refusing to believe in miracles

because miracles are the impossible coming true

and everything is possible

Play like you know the clouds have left too many people cold and broken

and you’re their last chance for sun

Play like there’s no time for hoping brighter days will come

Play like the apocalypse is only 4…3…2

but you have a drum in your chest that could save us

You have a song like a breath that could raise us

like the sunrise into a dark sky that cries to be blue

Play like you know we won’t survive if you don’t

but we will if you do

Play like saturn is on his knees

proposing with all of his ten thousand rings

that we give every single breath

this is for saying–yes

This is for saying yes

The whole book is incredible and you should definitely go and buy it!

But as a non-binary artist, it made perfect sense for me to set words from a gender-queer poet to music to be sung by voices massed together for Pride. So I reached out to their team...and waited. Usually, when it comes to creating derivative works (fear not - I won't get into all the legal stuff!) it can be quite a complicated process, involving multiple contracts, subclauses, and so forth, so I wasn't sure what to expect, and then...One of Andrea's friends got back to me - and said yes! They were really excited for the plan, and even said:

(yes, I did have a little cry)

So, next month, there will be a world-premier of an excerpt from my setting of "Say Yes" - I'm very proud of what has come from this collaboration and I cannot wait to share it with you all!

As if that wasn't enough, I've taken on the 3000 pressups for Teenage Cancer Trust in June - it's 100 press ups a day, and I'm really feeling it! If you'd like to help me raise money - you can donate here:

https://click.contact.justgiving.com/?qs=ABB7InYiOjEsImQiOjQ5MDF9AAYAAAAAAdPfHhsMQKNFzPScbXdmM9ydF1yFA4pWGLua1RN9c2Fnfu3DV3D6ortBRtn2M-ajsOxUt9djZV_SDOIletli6ESvPpr2ZIZqzgybbg

I'm slowly uploading videos of me doing them (but it takes time to edit them together, so bear with if I'm running a little behind! You can watch them here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO1AfAr01Zf27r6wO0q13xg

The next few months are going to be a whirlwind of weddings, concerts and more, so I'll try and write when I can. I'm so eternally grateful to their team and for the continued joyous opportunities I'm getting to make, share and experience music; I feel so very lucky to do what I do.

Here's to another 6 months of joyous music making!

Myles