Gold Spirit Awards

1st August 2014

Last week I found myself in Gibraltar – first time I’d ever visited! I was amazed at the huge rock and all the inhabitants – some 30,000 living around it’s. Lovely old town and square, warm sea which I swam in and lovely people. I got interviewed for the forthcoming Gold Spirit Awards to be held in Cordoba on the Wednesday and we sat in a pleasant coffee house as Alice from the Gibraltar Chronicle asked me about my music and life. It was with a view to another feature later. Of course at that point I had little idea that I’d actually win, although it seemed positive as we’d all been invited to the festival.

It was hot hot hot there – Cordoba’s maze of streets confused us and we had to get a taxi driver to lead us into the old town without getting lost!! The festival was wonderful – very intimate yet international and the people passionate about music. There was a dreamy quality to the setting – and as I walked up a red carpet strewn with white rose petals and sat at a beautifully laid table, I felt a bit nervous! (perhaps I should have prepared a speech!!) Anyway we sat with some other composers – John Lunn – the composer who wrote all the music to the great and popular series Downtown Abbey was there – he’s a lovely guy and we’d worked together judging at the Ivors – really nice to see a familiar face! Murray Gold (Doctor Who) and Rolf Kent (Dexter, Sideways, Wedding Crashers and many more!) were there and the wonderful composer Abel Korzeniowski who sat next to me and won two Gerry Goldsmith awards!!  I also met some great guys starting a new festival in Columbia and wonderful people from all different countries. Thanks for your lovely comments and coming to chat – it was great to meet you all.Congratulations to all who were there. When my name was called and I went up to the stage, I had to stop myself having a Gwenyth moment;-)  I have to say it was a real honour to be recognised for the music I wrote for BBC Africa series and also get to know some of the people who are listening to scores around the world. Thank you again Cordoba!