Cultural Life: Karl Jenkins, composer

Music

Mozart, Poulenc and Vivaldi, some early Miles Davis, Eric Clapton and Donald Fagen; I've never had a problem appreciating different genres.

Television

I've been catching up on various crime series that I missed first time around, such as 'Waking the Dead', 'Silent Witness' and 'New Tricks'.

Film

I just saw 'Aladdin'; my son Jody scored the music. It is a full-on action-packed Bollywood movie.

Theatre & Opera

I loved 'The 39 Steps' at the Criterion Theatre. Next up is 'Der Rosenkavalier' by Richard Strauss, my favourite opera, now at Covent Garden. Amazing music, extravagant orchestration and engaging plot.

Books

'The White Tiger' by Aravind Adiga. We performed in Mumbai earlier in the year. It was my first visit to India, and it made a huge impression on me. This book tells of one man's journey from village life to modern India.

Visual Arts

The exhibition by sculptor Anish Kapoor at the Royal Academy of Art.

'Stella natalis' is out now on EMI Classics. The tour reaches Banbury St Mary's on 19 December and Norwich Cathedral on 22 December. Jenkinsstellanatalis.com