'I moved from Lancashire to Yorkshire - I noticed the friendliness of the people right away'

My first proper memory is going over from Lancaster where I lived to Huddersfield. I’d be 18 or 19 and was taking a year out between school and university. I was going to Huddersfield to have a look around and remember going into the Performing Arts Building. Studying music at Huddersfield was excellent and the department was really vibrant.

What is your favourite part of Yorkshire?

If we are talking specific areas, I love the area around Holme Moss and Holmfirth. At university, I was a keen cyclist, so the routes south of Huddersfield were always a soft spot.

And I find Halifax a fascinating place where there are so many wonderful things. Not enough people look into it.The Piece Hall is splendid as is the Minster. It’s lovely to be in such an old building which hasn’t been touched too much. The Minster still has wooden fixed pews.

What is your favourite view?

As you are travelling on the road from Leeds over to Otley and Ilkley, and as you go towards Otley, there’s a great view on the right-hand side. I’ve always felt it’s the first real view of the countryside out of Leeds. One of the things I love about Yorkshire is that you are never far away from greenery.

Do you have a favourite walk?

My wife, Vene, and I live near Rodley Canal, and we love walking there, but one very particular walk would be at Malham Cove. It’s a fantastic area and one which solidified my relationship with Vene. That walk brought us closer together.

What’s your idea of a perfect day out or weekend away in Yorkshire?

That would involve a walk by Rodley Canal or a trip to Malham. I also like Newmillerdam country park near Wakefield. I love being out and about and being surrounded by the green of the countryside.

You need to escape from a musician’s day which can often be 20 hours long, seven days a week. What could be better than relaxing in a café or a pub in a Yorkshire beauty spot?

Which Yorkshire sports star, male or female, past or present, would you like to take out for lunch?

I’m a keen cycling fan, both watching and doing, and I once met Ed Clancy, the British Olympic cyclist, at Sainsbury’s in Huddersfield. I’d be most interested to meet him again, but since I’ve been in Halifax, the Paralympian Hannah Cockroft has cropped up a lot. I’ve met her briefly but would like to know Hannah much more.

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star, past or present, would you like to take out for dinner?

I can’t imagine having a more interesting evening than sitting down with Alan Bennett. You’d have a fascinating time. I love his observations, and I can’t think of anyone better to be with if you are people watching.

If you could own one thing in Yorkshire for a day, what would it be?

I found this a tricky question, but what springs to mind is I’d like to explore the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and go from Leeds to Skipton. If it’s a nice sunny day, that would be a marvellous thing to do.

What do you think it is which gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Coming from Lancaster, one of the things I noticed early on was the friendly nature of the people. If you go into a shop, you feel welcome.

What I love most about Yorkshire is that it’s so huge which means there are so many areas which are all different. Leeds, I think, is red brick and a few miles away, you’ve got stone walls and yet everything is linked together under the Yorkshire banner.

The Halifax Choral Society has been going for more than 200 years.

Choral singing is part of Yorkshire’s tradition, but fewer people are attending church and congregations aren’t getting any younger, so getting children to join a choir is the challenge. I believe the Yorkshire accent lends itself to singing.

How much has Yorkshire influenced your career?

In terms of my musical development, it’s been a big influence. Huddersfield was absolutely key for me.

I was fortunate that the singing teachers there, Andrew Slater and Rachel Nichols, were outstanding and sing opera professionally and regularly. Without their influence, I don’t know if I’d felt the self-belief to pursue singing.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

The place we like a lot is in the centre of Leeds and it’s Fazenda. It’s the best restaurant we’ve been too, and the food is brilliant.

And do have a favourite pub?

I’m not a massive drinker. I used to sing at Bradford Cathedral and one of the locals we went to afterwards was the Corn Dolly on Bolton Road in the city. The beer’s well kept, it’s a traditional, no-nonsense pub which I am sure has been the same for the last 50 years.

What about a food shop?

We are still exploring the Rodley area, but somewhere which brings my Lancashire and Yorkshire roots together is Booths supermarket in Ilkley. I enjoy going there. Booths are from the North West.

Who is the Yorkshire person you admire the most?

Sadly, he’s passed away, but Dr Simon Lindley, Director of Music for many years at Leeds Parish Church, now Leeds Minster, had a fine musical reputation. In the Leeds area and in my time, there’s no name that rings more in my world than his.

Name your favourite Yorkshire book, author, artist or CD performer.

This made me stop and think as my wife and I are developing our home. We need the right art for the right walls, but we admire David Hockney. Obvioulsy, it won’t be an original, but prints will be available to buy.

If a stranger to Yorkshire had time to visit one place only, where would that be?

I’d take them to Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds which has been in ruins since the 1500s.You are close to the canal, the river and the railway and you are in a park with lots of Yorkshire history.