Michael Higgins, composer

Who or what are the most significant influences on your musical life and career as a composer?

I’m certain that I’d never have considered the possibility of becoming a musician without guidance from a handful of teachers at my local, state comprehensive school in Worcestershire.

At age 16, I started taking the bus early on Saturday mornings to the Birmingham Conservatoire Junior School, where I had piano lessons with Margaret Newman. Margaret then also taught me during my undergraduate studies. I learned so much from her about what it is to be a musician, and how to care deeply about the finest of details.

I’ve spent countless hours accompanying rehearsals with various choirs, and this has been endlessly fascinating and educational. My longest association, for 17 years, was with Wimbledon Choral Society and their incomparable conductor, Neil Ferris (now Director of the BBC Symphony Chorus). Neil continues to be the most generous, warm, inspirational friend and colleague anyone could wish for.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

Apart from once when a recording date was fast approaching and I wasn’t happy with anything I’d written (which caused many sleepless nights, though thankfully I managed to finish the piece just in time), the greatest challenge has been having the courage to share my work. It’s taken quite a while for me to feel confident enough to send those out-of-the-blue emails to conductors, and I’m now fortunate to be in a position where some very special people help me with all of that.

What are the special challenges/pleasures of working on a commissioned piece?

It’s always a pleasure and privilege when a commissioner puts their trust in me to write something, not knowing what the end result will be. Sometimes they’d like to celebrate a special occasion, though often a piece will be in memory of a loved one, which brings an extra layer of responsibility and care. I really enjoy the early stages of exploring ideas together, finding a theme or text, working out who might give the first performance, where, and when. I like to know what the limitations are in terms of voicing and/or instrumentation, and for choirs, what other repertoire they have performed recently and how much rehearsal time might be available. Even when a piece is eventually published and starts to find its own way into the world, I always think back to the person or group that made it possible, and the experience we’ve had together, rather than the hours sat at my desk!

What are the special challenges/pleasures of working with particular musicians, singers, ensembles, or orchestras?

I first met Neil Ferris when I was accompanying the Birmingham Bach Choir, and their conductor, Paul Spicer, had taken some time away to write one of his many wonderful books. Now, nearly 20 years later, Neil and I can almost read each other’s minds! We’ve had many adventures together, not least with Wimbledon Choral Society and Sonoro, which we founded together in 2016. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have such a close working relationship and friendship with Neil, and to witness his career take off so deservedly has been the greatest pleasure.

Of which works are you most proud?

Each work has memories of people and places attached to it, and therefore is special to me in its own way. Thinking back to when I began learning the piano, at age nine, I also started to compose as the pieces I was playing didn’t hold my attention for long, and I thought it was fun to make up my own. I’m very proud that Oxford University Press has enabled me to add to that repertoire by recently publishing two new books in their popular ‘Ten Fingers’ series for young pianists. I hope that my ‘Christmas for Ten Fingers’ and ‘Classics for Ten Fingers’, both with wonderful, characterful illustrations by the brilliant Rosie Brooks, will be enjoyed by beginner pianists, young and not so young.

I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to write some more extended works lately, and of those, ‘The Cloths of Heaven’, settings of three love poems by W. B. Yeats (publishing in autumn 2026), has started getting several performances. This was first performed by the St Martin’s Chamber Choir at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and there’s a wonderful recording on YouTube, accompanied by The Dionysus Ensemble, directed by Olivia Tait.

How would you characterise your compositional language?

Others have used words like ‘lush’ and ‘sumptuous’, and I’d probably add ‘melodic’, ‘warm’, and maybe a little ‘romantic’. Essentially, I try to write music that I’d like to listen to. Having been a ‘collaborative pianist’ for much of my performing life, I’ve had a broad exposure to the standard and contemporary choral repertoire, as well as song, chamber music, and solo piano music. I suppose my musical language is a mixture of the many composers whose music I’ve loved over the years, including Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, Poulenc, and Gershwin, plus the Hollywood movie musicals I’d watch as a child with my grandma. More technically, I’m conscious that my music should be as logical (though not predictable) as possible for performers, so I pay great attention to voice leading and the rules of harmony that were drummed into me when I was younger.

How do you work?

Since I primarily write for voices, I always start with the text. It’s important for me to find something within the poetry that helps conjure up a mental image which I can then try to capture and communicate with a particular harmony or motif. A good example of an attempt at this is my arrangement of ‘The Angel Gabriel’, which features a chorus of cherubs hovering above the Annunciation. I always write out the complete text by hand, scribbling thoughts alongside to help me with the musical structure. I then sharpen a pencil, sit at the piano, and write down any ideas as and when they appear. More often than not, these are all jumbled and require reordering through various drafts, which eventually get transferred to the computer. I’m mildly obsessed with layout and proofreading, so always spend a good amount of time checking every detail before deciding that a piece is ready to share.

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

If I can help make someone else’s day a little brighter because they’ve heard or performed something that I’ve written, then I’m a happy man.

What advice would you give to young/aspiring composers?

Surround yourself with supportive musician friends whose feedback you value, and always ask them for help if you’re unsure about something. Above all, work hard, listen, try not to share anything that you haven’t checked through extremely carefully, and be the sort of person people might like to work with again. What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences? I think word of mouth and personal recommendation are the best ways to help people discover classical music. It can be difficult to know where to begin or what to expect, and with so many concerts and events taking place, we should aim to invite a friend along next time we go to hear something we think they might appreciate. What’s the one thing in the music industry we’re not talking about but you think we should be?

It can often be a lonely business in many ways. I think it’s important to have a small group of friends and colleagues to look out for you and your health, and whose opinions, feedback, and advice you trust implicitly. It’s also nice to be told when you’ve done something well, so if we as musicians hear something wonderful, a kind message might make someone’s day.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

This should probably be musical, but I love being with my partner by the sea in Portugal. There’s also a local restaurant in a small square just up the hill from Belém, Lisbon, where I could sit for hours watching the world go by, eating delicious petiscos, and drinking chilled Vinho Verde.

What is your most treasured possession?

‘Behind Bars’ by Elaine Gould.

www.michaelhiggins.com