Composers usually spend their time in a room hunched over manuscript paper, or bleary-eyed from staring at a score on the computer.

It was a delight to stand in front of a full orchestra of young musicians a year ago - and feel like an artist with a huge new box of paints. But there was a complicated task ahead: to find out what creative ideas the CYCO players have themselves, not just providing them with the notes I might choose.

What happens when you get a whole band to improvise? Cacophony? Or can you build up amazing kaleidoscopes of sound if you lay down some choices and rules? What techniques are easy, and sound amazing? What musical demands are really difficult, and hard to master? Why do you need a composer to get an orchestra to improvise? It sounds like a contradiction.

I took part in the adventurous training programme offered by the Academy of St Martin¹s in the Fields (ASMF), resident in Colchester since 2000. The ASMF players encourage musicians of all abilities and experience to make music - not just by playing from notes, but by creating the music themselves through listening, memorising, experimenting, invent-ing, playing together freely in all styles. Their skilful approach has had far-reaching effects in developing a new network of musical people in Colchester, who can enjoy exploring all different kinds of music in an adventurous way.

I was delighted to have the chance to be Composer in Residence with CYCO, with the support of Marilyn Taylor, a leading violinist with ASMF. It was extraordinary to lift my barbecue stick/cork baton and discover that the music began! One of the things I have had to practice hard this year is conducting. It is much more difficult than it might look. Marilyn and George have both helped with advice, and tough rehearsing. But the greatest joy has been to hear the music the youngsters have begun to create. We were terribly short of time, to invent music, to develop it from their ideas; to make small ideas grow into bigger, convincing ones. Rehearsal time was precious; and what sounds good in rehearsal takes several concert experiences before it can sound polished. All this was a great responsibility.

We have created a number of short pieces, which are beginning to link together - based on the idea of entering strange imaginary places, (Zones): The Mourning Zone (with Owen's text written specially); the Zone of Hope, and Joy; the Paradise River and the Lost Planet. We are also exploring the meaning of Bells - how their sound means so many different things in people¹s lives.

All this must come together by the end of the year, in a piece created together - the young people inventing, and the composer knitting it all together, making the parts, and adding something of my own too.

This gives me the chance to give my warmest thanks to the players of CYCO, for being patient with new things, for being adventurous, for bringing the best of their playing to often quite scary situations! For Sounding Out their expertise, and for playing the Colchester fanfare (which I wrote for them) so brilliantly in the Charter Hall! I felt at last I was improving as a conductor - or was it just how well they were playing?

Finally, my gratitude to George Reynolds for all his encouragement, understanding & support; and to the committee of parents, without which none of CYCO's achievements would exist. I look forward to the coming months, as we bring the work to its final stages, and hopefully, to performance.

I've got a proper baton now.