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Mike Batt on songwriting and his symphony

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Episode notes

Few musicians of Mike Batt’s vintage are still pushing creative boundaries with the same fervour that defined their youth. In a career-spanning conversation, Mike discusses his Kickstarter campaign for his Ukraine Symphony; a four-movement orchestral work shaped by war, hope, and human resilience. The interview touches on everything from his self-taught mastery of orchestration, early work with Family and Jeff Lynne’s The Idle Race, to writing ‘Bright Eyes’ and orchestrating XTC. He speaks candidly about the realities of funding new classical music in the streaming era and why, no matter what, this symphony will be completed.

Further information

Mike Batt (photo by Claire Williams)

Mike Batt: A Symphony – The Kickstarter Campaign ends on 28 July

Podcasts also available: Mike Batt (2020), Roger Chapman – Family, Jeff Wayne, Allan Clarke (2023)

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