Errollyn Wallen is the new Master of the King’s Music.
Wallen, born in Belize, moved to London with her parents at the age of 2. She trained as a dancer, traveling to New York in her late teens to study with Dance Theater of Harlem. She then returned to the U.K. to pursue music at Goldsmiths, King’s College London, and King’s College, Cambridge. Wallen was the first Black woman to have her music performed at the Proms. At 66, she succeeds Dame Judith Weir, who was appointed to the post by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014. Wallen has been on the royal radar for some time, having been commissioned to compose works to mark the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
The appointment of Master (and yes, the title applies for both men and women) used to be one for life; however, that was changed following the death of Malcom Williamson in 2003. Williamson, also born abroad (in his case, in Sydney, Australia), caused some displeasure at Buckingham Palace when he failed to meet important deadlines. The position was modified to encompass ten years. Williamson was succeeded by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, an unusual choice, given the composer’s avant-garde and anti-establishment tendencies. But he seemed to get along well with the Queen. Weir was made Master in 2014.
Wallen, the second woman to hold the post (and consecutively at that) will be expected to provide music for official and ceremonial occasions. King Charles is known to hold rather conservative musical tastes. Wallen’s compositions are very much of our time, which is to say, she often employs a broader palette, although she has also shown she has the ability to keep her music accessible and popular. Her works have been turning up more and more frequently on orchestral and chamber music programs even in this country. The Kansas City Symphony gave the U.S. premiere of her Violin Concerto in March. It will be played by the North Carolina Symphony in October. I’ve caught her “Concerto Grosso” on the radio a few times. Last year, Wallen was ranked as one of the top 20 most performed living classical music composers.
In 2007, for her services to music, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). In 2020, she became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Her arrangement of Hubert Parry’s sacred cow, “Jerusalem” for the 2020 Proms, for which she added a line to Blake’s text to acknowledge the Commonwealth, stirred controversy.
Other composers to hold the post of Master of the King’s/Queen’s Music over the past century include Sir Edward Elgar, Sir Walford Davies, Sir Arnold Bax, and Sir Arthur Bliss.
Congratulations to Errollyn Wallen!
Concerto Grosso
Cello Concerto, with introductory interview with the composer. The music itself begins at 16 minutes in.
Controversial take on Parry’s “Jerusalem”
Her website
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