The Alex Stobbs Matthew Passion Project

After the BAFTA-nominated documentary A Boy Called Alex was broadcast on Channel 4, Alexander Stobbs set himself a bigger challenge: to conduct Bach's St Matthew Passion. All three hours of it.

Now Alex's book, A Passion for Living (The amazing story of a boy who makes every day matter), follows his preparation to peform the work in April 2009 at the Cadogan Hall, all the time facing the struggle of the lung-wasting disease cystic fibrosis. It is a diary of his daily experiences: his determination to give his all to his music, set against the exhausing routines of his medication.

Alex has never let his disease get in the way of his passion for music, and his defiance and good-humour in the face of cystic fibrosis shines through this book. A Passion for Living is the moving diary of a young musician who is determinated to achieve his goals and make every day count.

Alex: A Passion For Life, a documentary about Alex's preparation and his performance of the Matthew Passion, is to be broacast on Channel 4 on 8th October at 9pm.

Alexander Stobbs's A Passion for Living was published on 17 September 2009 by Hodder. Buy A Passion for Living online at Amazon.