Extraordinary! and the Evolution from Stardust

Extraordinary! was the second major commission Sue Curtis and I created for Voices for Life, following our 45-minute space adventure Stardust. Where Stardust took children on an epic journey to Planet Zarg with full orchestral accompaniment, Extraordinary! adopted a completely different musical personality – energetic, contemporary, and driven by a powerful rhythm section with brass.

The piece is scored for piano, bass, and drums with a vibrant brass section, creating a sound world that’s more jazz-infused and groove-based than its predecessor. This contrasting style proved that Sue and I could work across a broad musical spectrum while maintaining the same commitment to meaningful, engaging work for young voices. The kids absolutely loved the energy and contemporary feel of these songs.

Rather than a single narrative journey, Extraordinary! functions as a song cycle – each piece can stand alone or be performed as a complete set. The songs explore themes of self-discovery and celebrating what makes each child unique, using magical hats as a whimsical connecting metaphor throughout.

Bringing World-Class Musicianship to Young Voices

In July 2023, we recorded the Extraordinary! album at the Royal High School in Bath with 100 children from nine schools across Bath & Northeast Somerset and Wiltshire. The recording was led by Katrine Reimers, the accomplished choral director and workshop leader whose expertise helped transform children with no prior singing experience into confident performers ready to record a professional album.

What made this recording truly extraordinary was the calibre of musicians we brought together. On drums, we featured Clive Deamer, whose CV reads like a who’s who of contemporary music. Since 2011, Clive has served as Radiohead’s second drummer alongside Phil Selway, helping bring their rhythmically complex tracks from The King of Limbs to life in live performance and on record. He’s also a founding member of Bristol jazz-rock quartet Get the Blessing, whose debut album All Is Yes won Best Album at the 2008 BBC Jazz Awards.

Clive’s remarkable career includes two Mercury Prize-winning albums – Portishead’s groundbreaking trip-hop masterpiece Dummy and Roni Size Reprazent’s New Forms. He’s collaborated with legends including Jeff Beck, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant’s Strange Sensation, and Alison Moyet. Bringing a musician of this stature to a children’s project sent a powerful message: these young voices deserved world-class artistry, and their music was worthy of the same commitment we’d give to any professional recording.

The album was released in February 2024, strategically timed to coincide with Children’s Mental Health Week, emphasising Voices for Life’s commitment to wellbeing through music. Within months, the recording garnered over 1,500 views and downloads, and the songs continue to be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

Every performance of Extraordinary! has featured world-class brass players who have played a vital role in bringing this piece to life. Leading the brass section is Johnny Bruce on trumpet – one of the finest trumpet players in the UK and the musician I wrote this piece for. Johnny has performed at every single performance of Extraordinary!, and his virtuosity and musicality have been instrumental in defining the sound and character of the work. Joining him are exceptional musicians including Mark Whitlam and Chris Jones on trumpet, Greg Sterland on saxophone, and Joe Bradford on trombone. Their professional-level artistry has transformed these performances into truly extraordinary experiences for the young singers.

Extraordinary! in Performance

Let’s Go! 6,000 Voices Supporting Team GB

One of the most remarkable outcomes of the Extraordinary! project was how the song “Let’s Go” took on a life of its own, becoming the soundtrack to an inspiring community event that connected thousands of children to the Olympic spirit. In what became known as the “Let’s Go! Musical Relay,” Voices for Life created an Olympic torch event that brought the excitement of the Games to schools across Bath & Northeast Somerset and Wiltshire.

Beginning in October 2023 with a launch ceremony at Twerton Park football stadium – where 150 children from Roundhill Primary School, St Michael’s Junior School, and Twerton Infant School performed – the relay visited over 30 primary schools between January and April 2024. An authentic 2012 Olympic torch served as the connecting symbol, passing from school to school as children learned and performed “Let’s Go” during their assemblies.

By July 2024, over 6,000 children had participated in the relay, learning the song and adding their voices to a collective message of support for Team GB heading to the Paris Olympics. The project culminated in a video montage of all these young voices singing “Let’s Go,” which was featured on BBC and local Bath media, sending good luck wishes to British athletes. It was profoundly moving to see how a single song from our cycle had inspired such a massive community effort, demonstrating the power of music to unite and inspire.

Opening the Bath Festival and Inspiring Young Performers

Since its premiere in June 2023 at Bath Abbey with 250 children, Extraordinary! has been performed at prestigious venues across the region. The piece opened the Bath Festival 2025 “Party in the City” at Bath Abbey in May, where 150 children from five local primary schools and the Voices for Life Bath Children’s Choir performed alongside the world premiere of “Hope,” another Sue Curtis and Jools Scott commission featuring the Horizons Choir.

Other notable performances include two sold-out nights at Wiltshire Music Centre in November 2023 with special guests Lady Lansdowne and the High Sheriff of Wiltshire in attendance, and a June 2024 return to Bath Abbey where over 200 children performed Extraordinary! alongside The Elements, conducted by Katrine Reimers and featuring BBC Young Chorister of the Year Belinda Gifford-Guy.

The impact of Extraordinary! extends far beyond the performances themselves. As part of Voices for Life’s mission to improve children’s lives through music – promoting wellbeing, building confidence, and creating sustainable communities – these projects have reached children from some of the most deprived areas in the region, providing transformative musical experiences that many would never otherwise access.

“Extraordinary! so well sums up the experience on Friday evening. Yet another magical performance from all of the children that you had recruited from around the Bath area! As with Stardust the level of confidence that had been achieved by the children was truly impressive and it brought home the breadth of experience and expertise in your team at Voices for Life. I remain very much in awe of all that you have achieved in such a short period of time.”

“I just wanted to pass on a big thank you to everyone involved with Voices for Life – the children at St Andrew’s had such an amazing time last week. The children are desperate to sing one of their songs for the Leavers assembly the last week of term.”

Listen to Extraordinary!

The complete Extraordinary! album is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Below you’ll find all six official lyric videos from the album, offering a complete window into this joyful celebration of childhood.

A Project That Lives Up to Its Name

Working with Sue Curtis on Extraordinary! demonstrated our ability to create music across diverse styles while maintaining the emotional core that makes these projects meaningful. From intimate classroom workshops to Bath Abbey performances with hundreds of voices, from Olympic torch relays reaching 6,000 children to professional recordings with world-class musicians like Clive Deamer, this project truly embodied its title.

Most importantly, Extraordinary! proved that children from all backgrounds deserve access to exceptional musical experiences. Through Voices for Life’s vision and commitment, these songs continue to build confidence, promote wellbeing, and remind young people that their uniqueness is something to be celebrated. That legacy – children discovering their own extraordinary potential through music – is the greatest achievement of all.

I want to extend my deep gratitude to Tessa Armstrong, founder of Voices for Life, for her unwavering support and partnership in bringing these projects to life. Tessa’s visionary work promoting children’s singing and wellbeing through music has created transformative experiences for thousands of young people. Her dedication to making music accessible to all children, regardless of background, aligns perfectly with my own values as a composer, and collaborating with Voices for Life has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.