‘The Music of the Stars’ musical (2024) & Deluxe Edition (2026)
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
The Prince and the Rose musical (1998)
The story of this musical began when I first read ‘The Little Prince’ by Antoine de Saint Exupéry in French in Reims in 1992. My wife suggested writing a song about the Fox. I was then inspired to write a musical called ‘The Prince and the Rose’. I composed the music and songs, and Ann Davies wrote the script. It was first performed at ‘Teatro Shalom’ in Empoli, near Florence in May 1998, and in 1999 in the library of ‘The British Insitute of Florence’.
The Music of the Stars (2024) Album
‘The Music of the Stars’ album (2024) combines the original music and songs from ‘The Prince and the Rose’ (1998) with newly written songs and music. I made brand new studio recordings.
There was a new focus on the magical encounter of the Prince and the Pilot and their deepening trust and friendship. The Pilot discovers his own inner child and learns to see the world with renewed eyes.
I made an emotional return to the same studio where I recorded in 1998. My friend and mentor Stefano Lugli had retired. Samuele Cangi and Tommaso Giuliani were enginners and musicians at ‘Blue Moon rec’ studio.The new recording project involved classical musicians and choruses.
There is a rich mixture of styles from chamber music to pop-rock as well as music hall numbers. Arrangements for flute, clarinet, oboe and cello as well as piano ballads and jazz infused pieces reflect this diverse musical journey.
Time to Blossom (2023)
One of the highlights of the 2024 album was ‘Time to Blossom’. This new song was recorded at Mad Jaguars Rec studio in Florence with Mat Grey. It was the first single from ‘The Music of the Stars’ (2024) with a video by Chiara Pirovano.
The song was inspired by a sign I found in my father’s house. It was probably put in the window of a house during the blitz of London in the Second World War to show there was room in the family shelter for anyone stranded in an air raid. The sign reads ‘if the siren goes you are welcome here’. The ‘shelter’ we give to each other lies at the heart of this song and struck a chord, and made me realise its home lay in my musical.
I set the opening scene of the musical at the start of the Second World War in France, to the song ‘Time to Blossom’. Saint-Exupéry was a pilot who’d flown over France in defence of his country against the Nazi invasion. He’d had seen French cities burn and the terror of war, and the image of a child looking for protection in a hostile world provides the starting point for a journey of the heart.
The Music of the Stars – Deluxe Edition’ (2026) Album
The Music of the Stars – Deluxe Edition (2026) is a re-release that includes five new tracks which deepen the theme of the inner child. They also replace dialogue in the script and deepen emotions.
I decided to explore the relationship between the Pilot and the Prince and the child inside us all. As we grow older, we often lose touch with imagination, curiosity and wonder. The Pilot discovers those qualities again through meeting the Prince.
The spirited ‘Draw me a Sheep’ and dramatic ‘A stubborn bolt and a hungry sheep’ are full of verve and energy.
The single ‘Day by Day’ is a tender lullaby that touches the emotions and heart of the relationship between the Pilot and the Prince. The Pilot realises his lost childhood and discovers his inner child.
As Seen In the Press
“Beautiful arrangements featuring flute, clarinet, oboe, and cello give the emotional heartbeart of the record, offering moments of tenderness, humor, reflections, and quiet wisdom that resonates far beyond the original literary source”.
