This April, the National Ballet of Japan presented the Japanese premiere of my ballet, Faster, choreographed by David Bintley, with the music performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic, conducted by Paul Murphy.
The ballet explores the topic of sport: from the heroics and achievements of competition, to the agony of injury, to the limits of human endurance.
I have often said that when the curtain rises on a new ballet work, I understand the complete honour to be a composer. This was certainly the case with Faster. David Bintley is an incredible choreographer. What he manages to achieve with a complement of human bodies is simply astounding. Add the superb lighting by Peter Mumford and costumes by Becs Andrews – it was a stunning experience.
And not least of all, the magnificent Tokyo Philharmonic, with conductor Paul Murphy who managed to be one of the most energetic of all: a definite highlight of my career.