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The incredible musician Dwight Pile-Gray: a professional conductor, horn player, academician, and musical director of two orchestras, joins Alex at home in London for a chat about his pioneering work in the classical music industry, and the medals he has been awarded for his service to the Corps of Army Music.

Listen in, as Alex and Dwight discuss his musical childhood as a Guyanese child brought up in Croydon in the 60’s, working to increase representation and inclusivity in classical music, and the power and importance of camaraderie and representation in military jewellery.

“I was really looking forward to having a proper chat with Dwight. We’ve known each other for quite some time but I’ve never sat down and properly discussed all his work. He’s obviously passionate about music, and he has introduced me to some great new composers, but it was the fact that he is in the Army and that he had a medal that made me so keen to include him in this series.

I’m fascinated with medals (probably partly because I’m never going to get one!) and I was keen to explore their significance as important pieces of jewellery. He was as intelligent and generous as ever.” 

- Alex Monroe

Here are some useful links for further reading on issues, events and artefacts discussed by Alex and Dwight.

You can follow Dwight on Twitter @PileGray

Listen to Dwight’s podcast, ‘The Black Maestro’, here 

Visit Black Classical music www.blackclassicalmusic.uk

Further information on making a will  here or www.gov.uk/make-will

Further reading on Samuel Coleridge-Taylor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Coleridge-Taylor

More information on the Chineke Foundation www.chineke.org

Learn more about Florence Price here

Illustration by Connie Bella Monroe
Edited by Emily Sandford
Music by Daniel Patrick Cohen

Please note, that this podcast was recorded during one of the less strict periods of the coronavirus pandemic, with all the necessary safety measures in place.