HIS show has been described as a musical Cirque du Soleil but with his piano the only prop.

He has reinvented Michael Jackson as Mozart, turned the Simpsons theme into a tango and arranged the WHSmith jingle in the style of Wagner.

But 'Harry The Piano' told Weekend that he still finds experimenting with music as fascinating as he did when he was four.

Harry, who is best known for being the Big Breakfast pianist, said: "My memory is rubbish. I’ll forget dates. I’ll forget what I was doing last week.

"But for some reason tunes just stick in my head. I don’t know if it’s a different part of your brain but I can recall things I’ve maybe not played for 25 years."

Harry is playing at St Wilfrid's Church in Grappenhall next Thursday and the 'human jukebox' is most looking forward to asking the audience for suggestions for any song in any style.

He added: "Somebody asked recently on Radio 3 for Once In Royal David’s City as a Bond theme.

"People chuckle about it but then when you do it there’s a second laugh as it is so incongruous but kind of works.

"So it gives you a nice interaction with the crowd as they’re coming up with the material and you’re making them laugh with this combination of high art and low art."

As a child, Harry was surrounded by church music and hymns as his dad Mick was a minister. He was also inspired by his dad's love of classical music.

Harry, whose wife Sarah runs the legal team at the national Guardian newspaper, said: "I always had a thing for trying to hear things and work things out and play around and improvise which drove all the teachers I had in my teens to distraction.

"In those days there was one route only which was scales and arpeggios so anything else was frowned on as frivolous.

"Nowadays if a kid displays any penchant for improvisation it is seized on and encouraged hugely."

Harry got his big break playing for the Groucho Club in Soho when he was 25. He was on first name terms with club regulars Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Lenny Henry.

He added: "It was the premier, A-list hangout. Anybody over from America to publicise a film or appear on a chat show went there

"So I had this ridiculous situation where I was surrounded by celebrities for five years. Stephen Fry got me to play at all his book launches and I used to do parties for Lenny Henry."

Harry even got to teach Hugh Laurie jazz.

He said: "Hugh was always this quiet, diffident chap as you’d imagine but he was always fascinated with the piano and he would watch me play and ask for songs."

So when Hugh asked him for a lesson, Harry went around to his house and asked him to play something to see what level he was at.

Harry, who previously toured with 80s Newton legend Rick Astley, added: "He started playing this complicated boogie woogie Dr John thing and he got half way through the song and stopped dead.

"He had learnt this song note by note and it had taken him two years. It is an incredibly arduous way of doing it so I showed him some new ways around the piano and some jazz chords."

Harry's name quickly spread and he soon found himself playing the piano with David Bowie among many others as The Big Breakfast's pianist.

He said: "They were looking to do this Friday song which was kind of topical skit on the news of the week so I was approached to do that.

"They asked me to do more when they realised I could come up with stuff quickly and improvise

"Then I started to bring some other musicians in and we had a little band and by the end we were on three or four times a week doing all kinds of things."

The TV show had many celebrity presenters during its 10-year run including Chris Evans, who grew up in Warrington.

"It was quite groundbreaking in its way," added Harry, who has performed alongside Elvis Costello.

"It was really irreverent and was the first show to feature the crew. It was the thing all the kids wanted to watch in the morning because it was a laugh and there were all these silly games.

"In those days there were only four TV channels so it was quite a big show that everybody came through.

"Every week there was a big celebrity guest so you become slightly more used to it than you otherwise would.

"Generally you find that these huge stars have got nothing to prove so I never had anybody who was unpleasant.

"They were all very supportive and nice and sign your things and have a photo taken with you. So it wasn’t intimidating at the time but it does hit you afterwards."

And despite dedicating all his professional life to the piano, Harry reckons there is much more scope for musical invention yet.

Harry, a regular BBC Radio 3 and 4 contributor, said: "I still play the piano a lot because I’m learning a lot of new things and I’m trying to come up with new ideas for routines.

"The thing is there is always someone that you hear that will absolutely blow you away. There’s a kid I’ve discovered in the last year or so called Jacob Collier who’s been mentored by Quincy Jones.

"He plays every instrument and sings and does these unbelievable arrangements. I love hearing people that make my jaw drop. It’s always reinvigorating."

- Harry The Piano performs at St Wilfrid's in Grappenhall on Thursday, February 12. For more information or tickets call 263183

DAVID MORGAN