John and Simon
"In the time that John, Sean and I have been collaborating together, ‘1916’ has changed beyond all recognition and in so many amazing ways. It has more heart, more soul and is now of a truly world class quality. This is thanks to John’s immense breadth of knowledge and experience. He has really taken the music to another level and his talent for both the epic and the tiny moments, the ‘rise and fall’, is astounding. Sean ensures that the storyline and characters develop and grow organically.
I am learning so much from John, as not only is he a gifted composer, orchestrator and arranger, but he is also a generous and patient teacher. John and I seem to have a real understanding and the writing process is almost like breathing. We both want to tell this fascinating story and honour the memory of the rebels in an honest and accurate way. The fictional characters are no less important, for without the ordinary people of Dublin, there would have been no Rising. The time seems right for a show about people power and the fight against oppression by a nation. The revolution has begun…" Simon Humphreys, January 2011