Does Andrew Lloyd Webber appreciate the cello?
Very much. Andrew often used to come to cello concerts with me when we were teenagers. And, of course, he wrote his Paganini Variations for me – which remains the only piece he has written without words! We’ve read that you are a supporter of Leyton Orient Football Club. Are there any similarities between football and playing the cello? I think there are huge comparisons between music and sport. Playing music together involves the greatest teamwork and you need to practise every day – just like a sportsman! How long did you practise for as a child? Probably not long enough! I didn’t really take the cello seriously until I was about thirteen. Do you have any tips for practising? Try to enjoy it – even scales! There is a certain weird satisfaction when you manage to play them right! Do you get nervous before you perform? Yes! And I think it would be odd if you went on the platform with no nerves at all. The beauty of live performance is that it’s totally unpredictable. Throughout history
