An award-winning composer from Bridport has released a brand new album that is for sale exclusively at Clocktower Music.

Andrew Dickson, who has written music for several Mike Leigh films, has released his debut album after being approached two years ago by record producer Stephan Eicke.

Although learning multiple instruments from childhood, Andrew began his career by training as a teacher and working in theatre. Yet his musical ability led to job offers around the country, first as a musician, then as a composer.

Andrew met director Mike Leigh at the beginning of the 1980s, who asked him to write music for his 1983 Channel 4 film, Meantime.

While writing soundtracks for many of the acclaimed director's films, Andrew was also working in Bridport, creating music for the town's community plays.

"I had such a good time," he says. "I commuted to London a lot, but gradually stayed in Dorset more and more. The film work subsidised all the community work and kept us going as a family."

Starting with The Poor Man's Friend in 1981, Andrew went on to compose six more community plays, the most recent being Flea! in 2017. His current projects include working in London on a show about the most powerful women in the Roman Empire, working with local dance groups in Dorset, and aiming to create a music hub to house his vast collection of instruments and encourage members of the public to have a go.

The Mike Leigh film festival, held at Bridport's Electric Palace last year, screened all six of Leigh's film scored by Andrew, including High Hopes, Naked and Secrets & Lies.

On Saturday, January 25, Andrew will hold a Q&A session at Clocktower Music on St Michael's Estate from 11am. The event, in which he will also deliver a live performance and demonstrate how his music was composed, will be free to attend.

Clocktower Music is an independent record store which stocks more than 10,000 items and specialises in buying and selling new or preloved vinyls and CDs. Having appeared at markets across the south west for several years, the business set up a permanent shop in Bridport in 2015.