I’m in London, sort of decompressing after a beautiful and intense week with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been a part of something that was so intellectually challenging and so rewarding on the emotional level. This labour of love from Tommy Smith that is the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra is a real gift, not only to Scotland but to the world of music lovers. I’ve seen it grow from the beginning, and to see – 20 years on – what the SNJO is doing is a powerful testament to what one person can do to make a difference in the world.

Tommy has really done that with the help of a lot of great people. It was an honour for me to be a part of this week. And I just wish for 20, 40, 60 more years of this great orchestra. I have a lot of gratitude to all the people along the way that helped to push it further down the river. It’s a wonderful entity and it’s making a huge difference to the lives of a lot of people. Especially a lot of young musicians. But not only musicians, music listeners and people who need the nourishment of great music.

So, thank you for everything.