Errollyn Wallen

Donald Macleod chats to composer Errollyn Wallen about her life
and work


Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen has been called a
“renaissance woman of contemporary music”. She’s a remarkably
versatile and prolific composer, pianist and songwriter and one
of our most in-demand musical voices today. She was the first
black woman to have a piece performed at the Proms in 1998 and
her music opened the 2012 Paralympic games. She's even been
performed in space, aboard NASA’s STS115 mission. Wallen writes
in a kaleidoscopic range of styles; her music constantly crosses
and re-crosses musical boundaries and it brims over with a sense
of adventure and delight. This week, Donald Macleod gets to know
Errollyn as she dials into his studio from her Scottish
lighthouse where she retreats to concentrate on her work.


Music Featured:


I Wouldn’t Normally Say It’s a Quarter to Nine Percussion
Concerto (2nd movement – excerpt) Louis’ Loops Photography NNENNA
My Granny Sarah Woogie Boogie Dervish Concerto Grosso Horseplay
(1st and 2nd movements) In Our Lifetime TIGER Lines It all
depends on you (excerpt) The Girl in My Alphabet Three Ships (IV
– Some Trouble) Red (Homage to Rodrigo) Greenwich Variations
What’s Up Doc? Daedalus Five Postcards About Here Tree Of
Crumpling Rocks Are you worried about the rising cost of
funerals? (i. beehive; iv. guru) Peace on Earth Jerusalem, our
clouded hills gun gun gun Mighty River Cello Concerto (excerpt)
See That I am God


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC
Wales


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Errollyn Wallen
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00131m7


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z