MATTHEW J Webster is one of our most creative composers.

He is especially well-known in the local theatre community for the original score he wrote to accompany Jordan Best’s production, “Playhouse Creatures”, which toured to the Mondial de Theatre festival in Monaco in 2017, which he attended with the cast.

Webster has been appointed musical director for the planned 2024 production of the musical “Ordinary Days” as part of the “Q The Locals” season.

Last week he released “This Too Shall Pass”, an orchestral album of his compositions, which was recorded in Europe and funded by 186 national and international “Kickstarter” backers.

The album shares his experiences with severe bipolar disorder and his first treatment and recovery through electroconvulsive therapy in 2019.

Born and raised in Canberra, Webster first began composing during his teenage years, getting his big start when he won the under 18 sections of the “Realise Music Challenge” at just 16.

He spent several years working in local theatre as a musical director, but more recently has worked on passion projects closer to his heart, recorded his pieces with an orchestra in Budapest and received radio plays and interviews in the UK and Europe.

“This Too Shall Pass” was first released in 2019 with the use of digital composing software, but during the pandemic he expanded his online presence to include advocacy and discussion about mental health through his music, thus reaching a worldwide audience.

As his following grew, he gained the courage to launch the Kickstarter appeal to record his first full album entirely with a full orchestra.

Every track from the original release was re-written, with many changes in orchestration and new tracks composed.

He continues to focus on using music to advocate for mental health issues and a major part of this album’s release will be the donation of 20 per cent of profits to charities and foundations supporting mental health recovery and treatment, as well as supporting those who have suffered childhood sexual abuse.

As one reviewer has written, “the soaring sequences in ‘Flying’ [one of the works] remind me that when trapped in suffocatingly dark rumination, music holds the ability to turn the lights back on.”

“This Too Shall Pass” (Deluxe Edition), available here