I believe you were born and educated in Hong Kong. Was music important to you as a child and what were your family’s expectations of your success? Although I was born into a non-musical family, music was very important to me as a child. I started piano aged four and soon discovered I had perfect pitch. I attained Grade 8 Piano at the age of eight. What inspired you to start learning the organ, and how did you search for a teacher? Before I moved to the UK, I asked a friend who played the...

Please note - Anne completed this Spotlight interview with Harry just three days before his death, and we offer it as a tribute to his life and great work. It was fascinating to read in your autobiography ‘Not Half Bad’* about your career, your colleagues and the society in which you worked. Your memory is astonishing ... or did you keep detailed diaries throughout your life? The only diaries I kept were appointment diaries. They cover a long and diverse career, first as teacher in 1961 in...

You have had a long career in church music, winning great distinction both as organist and choir director, and now you are primarily known world-wide as a composer. Take us back to the beginning – when and how did your commitment to music begin? I grew up in a small country town, beginning piano lessons aged four. When I was 14, I moved to a country secondary school where I sang in the local cathedral choir. It was there that I first become obsessed with the organ and choirs. I trained as a...