"Brief Encounter, I think, is just an exquisite movie. I think I see it at least once a year. It’s a Noel Coward and David Lean movie, and it’s so ahead of its time in so many ways. Visually, it’s ahead of its time. Oh my God, it’s like a piece of music. That sequence of lines in it, when they’re out in the countryside, and he says, “Are you cold, darling?” And she says, “No, not really.” He says, “Are you happy?” And she says, “No, not really.” It’s f—ing heartbreaking. I mean, it pulls every string; it’s beautiful. And it’s also a movie that’s… the first movie I can think of — maybe I’m wrong — where a woman has an affair and is the hero of the piece, and isn’t vilified by the piece. The husband is not evil; you know, the husband is kind of wonderful , and at the end he says, “You’ve been so very far away, and I’m glad you’ve come home,” and all of that. It’s just beautiful."

"Stravinksy has a way of putting surprises in music that sounds very familiar. You already know where the music is going, especially in this particular crescendo that we always listen to: [sings] "pom pom pom pom pom..." It's probably universal music, it's out there floating in the atmosphere and he just happened to pick it up, but he still puts in all these surprises, these little sounds, these strange time signatures, so by the time you get to the finale you're just another person. It's maybe the last seven minutes of the piece, and you know where it's going - it's like driving to your favourite restaurant knowing you're going to eat at the perfect time, and your desire is going to be quenched. Even though it's big, bombastic, strange music at times, it's very satisfying in a rock & roll way. Some of it's so simple, other bits are incredibly complicated, so much so you dismiss it, but you gotta let it take you along. But I'm a fan of Stravinsky. He's a weirdo. I love the weirdos."