I was born and raised in England and, as my mother was, in her youth, a budding concert pianist turned music teacher, I was surrounded by music from a very early age and developed an avid interest in all things musical and melodic.

As I grew and learned and listened, my formative years became ‘life as music’.

My days were spent not talking about how I felt and what I thought but making up songs that could more easily express my emotions and dreams. I was always singing or humming something…maybe not as in-tune or as softly as my mum would have liked, but expressing myself through music nonetheless!

I still find now as an adult that it’s much easier for me to write something musical to express myself than it is to explain it in words. It was always going to be a natural progression for me to move into the role of composer.

In writing the music for Brontė,  I have again been able to create emotional ideas through a musical world to help express and deepen the ideas presented on the stage. And that’s the role I think music in theatre and film is there to play. Not to take over and certainly not as a mere filler but… to be the chilli to the chocolate if you will (sorry, I love my food analogies!!). Chilli doesn’t change the taste of chocolate but it deepens the taste and takes your tastebuds on a little rollercoaster ride.

As we see in films, if you take away the soundtrack from the tear-jerker scene, you’re left feeling a little underwhelmed. Take away the score to some of Hitchcock's filmic masterpieces and the scene is not frightening at all. Just a little…odd.

In theatre,music becomes the emotional highlighter, the added extra that can create whatever world or mood you want with a minimum of fuss!

 Almost immediately on reading the Brontė script, I heard female voices, and, in initial talks with the director and producers, this developed into musical ideas for rich four part acapella arrangements.

The Brontė sisters themselves were unassisted and raw, without makeup or pretty clothes to hide the flaws. Their lives were a complex mix of the tedium of everyday existence and the symphony of words and ideas and emotions happening in their heads. I wanted all of this to be reflected in the music. No pitch correction or pretty backing tracks, no super-duper production…definitely no funky back-up dancers!

I want to represent their struggle in the music. Their amazing, soaring imaginations, their YEARNING FOR SOMETHING MORE. Musically, this has become female voices working with and against each other, sometimes singing in unison, sometimes alone voice soaring above the rest.

 We’re two weeks out from opening at the present…and I can’t wait til all the elements can be combined – music / lighting / set / costumes / actors.

And I really hope that the music can be the chilli to this wonderful productions’ chocolate!!

Well, Kylie, having heard the music at rehearsal for the first time last night, I'm sure no one will be disappointed. It is amazing!