With an output of over eighty works, John Ritchie remains a key figure of twentieth century New Zealand music. “I have flown Spitfires, I have conducted symphony orchestras. I’ve been presented to the Queen and scored an Albatross at golf… I spent my 60th birthday with the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, in a Budapest hotel drinking innumerable toasts to each other and Bela Bartok whose centenary we were celebrating. I knew Malcolm Arnold, William Walton and novelist Anthony Burgess. In other words, I have got around.” This address is a fascinating insight into the general and musical context for the inspiration to John Ritchie\‘s music, while also examining the position of the New Zealand composer in today’s society.