Former MP Sir Gerry Neale A Semi-Finalist Lyric Writer at 68 years old

At 68, Former MP Sir Gerry Neale discovers new talent as a Lyric Writer.
Sir Gerry has just reached the semi-final of the 2010 UK Songwriting Contest, the first competition he has entered, with over 5000 song writers taking part.
Submitting four lyrics just before February’s deadline for entry, he has just heard that he was a semi-finalist with one and has been commended on the other three, each of different genres.
He reached the semi-final of this year’s contest with a hymn written to the famous tune Greensleeves. This is soon to have its debut at a church service at St Anne’s Church Kew on the Green, London.
He is also working with David Barker the Musical Director to produce a demonstration track of a second lyric commended by the judges. It is a love song written to a lilting piece of well-known classical music. He hopes to have this available in ten days.
Sir Gerry has already had a demo cd of 11 tracks produced. Commenting on his reaction to the contest results, he said, “It’s indescribable! It is something very special to feel the emotions I experience when hearing music I really like being played and sung to my lyrics.
Starting to write lyrics to existing music only 15 months ago, he has written over 60 songs already and is still writing!. They range from love songs to spiritual songs, from new age to Contemporary Christian Music, love songs to Zouk to Latin.
Why did he start writing lyrics so late in life? “Frankly,” he said, “I did not know I had it in me! Now I hear a piece of music I like and immediately words start running through my mind! While I can write stand-alone lyrics, it is writing them to existing music that appeals to me most and is my real joy.”

How The Lyric Writing Began

How the lyric writing began:


In February 2009 whilst driving to London from Cornwall, I placed a long forgotten CD in the CD player. As the instrumental music engulfed the car it also filled my head with words making me dream of writing a song to this music, something I had never done before. I knew when I reached home that I had to write down those words. They encapsulated the inner emotions and creative spirit triggered by the music. The New Age music of composer Rolf Lovland and his group ‘Secret Garden’ provided that initial inspiration.

Sir Gerry's Lyric-Writing Inspiration And Motivation

I discover that my passion is not simply to write lyrics unassociated with music at the point of writing them. That passion is fed far more by existing music and not even just by a piece of music but by the particular interpretation of a piece of music. Change the arrangement and so the words I hear change. They seem to play differently on my sensitivity to nature, inner spirituality, insatiable fascination for people and a simple faith. They come together seamlessly in the creation of simple, pure and soulful lyrics, drawing on perceptions aroused in me.

Sir Gerry Neale Genres of Music Lyrics

Genres of Lyrics:


The genres of music I have experimented with so far, continue to fire in me the wish to bring to life the emotions and thoughts fired by music as already composed by the composer: these include, Christian Contemporary, New Age, Classical, Latin, Zouk and popular music. I am researching more. Inspired by that first lyric and the Lovland music, in just a few months I have now written over sixty lyrics, a third of which are protestant church and spiritual lyrics. Six of these Christian Contemporary Music lyrics have now been put onto a demo CD. The cerebral intent was to demonstrate my lyric writing ability. The emotional intent was, unashamedly, to enjoy the result of my creativity! (