Though, in the infancy of the Church, God taught his people without the written Word, yet now that the former ways of revealing his will to his people have ceased, the Holy Scripture, or written Word, is most necessary. Without this the Church would be left to the uncertainty of tradition and oral teaching; but the written Word is a sure test of doctrines, and a light in a dark place, both of which are most necessary.

Success lasts only three seconds. After that, you’re the same as you were before you had it.

You can’t sing Beethoven from the neck up – you’ll bleed! Beethoven is not precious. He’s prodigal as hell. He tramples all over nicety. He’s ugly, heroic; he roars, he lusts after beauty, he rages after nobility. Be ye not temperate!

I was never really a character actor – I was a leading man who was always cast as a character. I wanted to be Jack Nicholson or Jean Gabin.

There’s no future in being poor.

In theory it may seem all right to some, but when it comes to being made the instrument of the Lord’s vengeance, I myself don’t like it.

I don’t want to write every week, it’s too much trouble, and I shall only write when I want something. If you think I’m sick when I don’t write, you can send for me to come and tell you.

You never know who’s going to be in the audience. You never know who is going to be hearing that piece for the first time, and you never know who is going to be hearing that piece for the last time.

You don’t see something until you have the right metaphor to perceive it.

In these days of political, personal and economic disintegration, music is not a luxury, it’s a necessity; not simply because it is therapeutic, nor because it is the universal language, but because it is the persistent focus of our intelligence, aspiration and goodwill.