My perfect weekend: Jae Alexander, conductor and musical director The point where the singers and the orchestra come together is always really exciting, though it is a sign of the times that you rarely get the big orchestras I've had in the past on shows like Beauty and the Beast. One of the joys of being a West End musical director is meeting some of the world's best actors. I am currently working with Simon Russell Beale on his show Privates on Parade, which opens in January, and he is just magnificent - every time he goes on stage he gets a cheer. You do get nervous meeting stars: I worked on Guys and Dolls with Ewan McGregor who turned out to be a joy to work with but when he left, Patrick Swayze, the star of the movie Dirty Dancing, took over the role and I suddenly had him on the phone asking me to go over some of the music. I'll never, ever forget working with some of the good old pros, comedy royalty like Ernie Wise and gorgeous Lulu - they have so much to give and so many stories to share. Once when I was working on the musical Follies in 1987, starring Eartha Kitt, I called my dad on the payphone outside our dressing rooms which all the dancers used to call their boyfriends. It was Dad's birthday and I ran to Eartha's room to see if she would come and sing to him: she did it in her wonderful style, ending with her famous cat purr down the phone to him. My father was blown away. As conductor, whether for big musicals or classical music concerts, I will have a very precise idea of the colour, zest and energy I want from the orchestra. The conductor's role is huge because all the dynamics of the piece come from him. When we are accompanying singers, the conductor has to know how to pull the orchestra round behind him, sticking to the singer's lead like a limpet. A lot of musicians would never want to stand up and lead like I do - I suppose there are just certain people that it suits. I like to interact with the audience as well, talking and having a laugh with them, especially in some of the massive, 12,000- people classical concerts like the Battle Proms where you can get a real party mood. You have to be very confident on stage, which is something I've got better at over the years. I have great camaraderie with the singers, including Wynne Evans, the GoCompare man, who once introduced me on stage with the immortal words: "Jae Alexander, camp classics for the masses!" Performances can be very physical, especially because I like to give it large and make my conducting as big as possible. Some classical pieces are as long as 12 minutes and I really have to pace myself; otherwise I get shoulder and neck problems or risk repetitive strain injury. After a long day of work I like to get home to my house in Balham, immediately put my feet up and have a glass of wine to relax, ready for the following day's work. Though most of my Saturdays are taken up with rehearsals or warm-ups for an evening performance, I wouldn't usually work on a Sunday unless I was doing a concert. I keep Sundays pressure-free, having lunch with friends who don't work in the entertainment industry, as it is the one day we all have in common, or spending time in the garden looking after the assorted fish in my pond. My job is so varied that you never really know what is coming up next, but directing the Albert Hall Queen's Diamond Jubilee Gala in June this year was definitely one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I had worked at the Albert Hall before as a guest conductor, but this time I got to actually talk to the audience and introduce sensational people such as Russell Watson and the Military Wives Choir. You really can't beat the Albert Hall as a venue. I kept thinking of all the people who had played there and the history of the building, and there was me, a little old Welshman, suddenly conducting in front of 6,000 people. We did the Jubilee concert three times that Saturday - a morning rehearsal and then two two-and-a-half hour shows in the afternoon and evening, but I still wasn't tired; the mood was just ecstatic. I'm delighted that the West End is thriving - it seems to be doing especially well this Christmas.The floor below ours in our rehearsal space is occupied by Spamalot, above us they are doing the Spice Girls musical Viva Forever! and in the room next door they are practising for the opera. So you couldn't really get more diverse. It is a wonderful world to work in. Jae Alexander is MD of The WestEnders (thewestenders.com) and will be conducting the BT Christmas Carol Concert on December 13. Visit royalalberthall.com for tickets.