Paul Mealor

Last updated

Professor
Paul Mealor
LVO CStJ FRSA FRSE CLJ
Paulmealorphoto.jpeg
Born (1975-11-25) 25 November 1975 (age 48)
St Asaph, Denbighshire, Wales
Nationality (legal) Welsh
Education University of York, Royal Danish Academy of Music
Occupation(s)Composer and teacher
Website paulmealor.com

Paul Mealor LVO CStJ FRSA FRSE CLJ FLSW (born 25 November 1975) is a Welsh composer. A large proportion of his output is for chorus, both a cappella and accompanied. He came to wider notice when his motet Ubi Caritas et Amor was performed at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. He later composed the song "Wherever You Are", which became the 2011 Christmas number one in the UK Singles Chart. He has also composed two operas, four symphonies, concerti and chamber music.

Contents

Biography

Born in St Asaph, Denbighshire, Wales, Mealor studied composition privately with William Mathias and John Pickard and then read music at the University of York (1994–2002). He studied composition at York with Nicola LeFanu, and in Copenhagen at the Royal Danish Academy of Music with Hans Abrahamsen (1998–99). [1]

Since 2003, he has taught in the University of Aberdeen, where he is currently Professor of Composition and he has held visiting professorships in composition in institutions in Scandinavia and the United States. [2] He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and since 2011 has been published by Novello. Also in 2011, he signed to Decca Records. [1] His first album for Decca, A Tender Light – a collection of sacred choral anthems – spent six weeks at No 1 in the Classical charts.

Mealor's motet, a setting of Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal (rearranged as Ubi Caritas et Amor), was commissioned by Prince William for his marriage to Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, when it was sung by the Choirs of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty's Chapel Royal conducted by James O'Donnell. [3] [4] [5] [6] Later that year, Mealor was commissioned to write the music for Wherever You Are , a song setting a text compiled from letters written to British Army military personnel deployed on active service in the Afghanistan War by their wives or partners, as part of the BBC Two television series The Choir: Military Wives . [7] The single, released on 19 December 2011, became the 2011 Christmas number one in the UK Singles Chart and raised money for military charities. [8] In the 2012 Classic FM Hall of Fame, he was voted the 'nation's favourite living composer' and succeeded in achieving the highest placing of any new entry in the history of the Hall of Fame with Wherever You Are charting at No 5. [9]

In 2012, he was appointed a Free Burgess of the City of Aberdeen. [10]

In 2013 Mealor composed the song "With a friend like you" for the final of the second season of the BBC 2 series "The Choir: Sing while you work". All three choirs of the final presented the song at Ely Cathedral. The P&O choir was declared winner.

In April 2014, Mealor's follow up album to "A Tender Light" was released titled "I Saw Eternity". "I Saw Eternity" which reached No 1 in the Specialist classical charts.

In September 2014, it was announced that he had been appointed President of Tŷ Cerdd (which promotes Welsh Music to the world), and Patron of the Welsh Music Guild. [10]

In January 2018, he was appointed as an Officer of the Venerable Order of St John (OStJ) by HM Queen Elizabeth II. [10] [11] In March 2023 he was promoted to Commander (CStJ) [12] by HM King Charles III.

In May 2019, he was appointed to the Order of the Scottish Samurai (OSS) at Great Shogun Level. [13]

In March 2020 he was appointed a Commander of The Catholic Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem (CLJ) and in November 2020 he was awarded The Saltire Society Fletcher of Saltoun Award for his outstanding contribution to arts and humanities in Scotland. He is only the second composer, after Sir James MacMillan to be given the award.

In 2021 he composed, along with Grahame Davies (as lyricist), the official hymn for Her Majesty's Royal Air Force, Per Ardua ad Astra. [14]

Mealor's compositions featured in three of the four national services of thanksgiving for the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. His, 'I shall not Die but Live' (a setting of Psalm 118 in Scots Gaelic) was written especially for the service and sung by Karen Matheson at Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh. [15] His 'A Welsh Prayer' was also sung at Llandaff Cathedral at the Welsh National Service of thanksgiving. [16]

In 2023, Mealor was commissioned to create a brand new piece for the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla. [17] His work, "Coronation Kyrie" – set in the Welsh language – was sung by Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel – the first time that the Welsh language was sung at a Coronation. [18]

Also in 2023 he was commissioned to compose three works for the Scottish Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla – Balmoral Flourishes, a Gaelic Psalm setting and the closing recessional march, The Call of Lochnagar. [19] For this, he was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 2024 New Year Honours. [20]

Selected works

Arms granted by the Lyon Court in 2023. Paul Mealor Escutcheon.png
Arms granted by the Lyon Court in 2023.

Discography

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References

  1. 1 2 "Paul Mealor". Chester Music & Novello & Co. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Dr Paul Mealor, Reader in Composition". University of Aberdeen. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "Composer's delight at inclusion of his music service". The Herald (Scotland). 29 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Ubi Caritas". 2011 Royal Wedding. The Royal Channel (official YouTube Channel for the British Monarchy ). Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  5. ↑ Melissa Lesnie (29 April 2011). "New British compositions a gift for the Royal Wedding". Limelight Magazine. Australian Broadcasting Company / Haymarket Media. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ubi Caritas et Amor". Univ. of York Music Press. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "The Choir III: Military Wives". Gareth Malone official website. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  8. ↑ "Military Wives Choir captures Christmas number one". BBC News. 25 December 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "Wherever You Are". Classic fm. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 "Professor Paul Mealor". University of Aberdeen. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "No. 62164". The London Gazette . 5 January 2018. p. 218.
  12. ↑ "4302994 | Order of St John | The Gazette". m.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "The Scottish Samurai Award celebrates those who serve and excel:The awards are Samurai and Shogun. Both signify excellence of endeavour— Samurai denotes one who has served, and served well— Shogun recognises the recipient's ultimate achievement in their particular field. | The Scottish Samurai Awards". scottishsamurai.org. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  14. ↑ "RAF's first dedicated Hymn premiered at Classic FM Live" . Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  15. ↑ "Queen requested Aberdeen composer Paul Mealor create work performed at her thanksgiving service". 12 September 2022.
  16. ↑ "Llandaff Cathedral hosts National Service for the Queen".
  17. ↑ "Andrew Lloyd Webber piece among new coronation music". BBC News. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  18. ↑ "Sir Bryn Terfel to perform in Welsh at King's coronation". BBC News. 16 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "King Charles's Scottish Coronation: what music is being played?".
  20. ↑ "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N4.
  21. ↑ "Professor Paul Mealor, the eminent composer commissioned by HM The King to provide some of the music for the Coronation, was presented by the Lord Lyon in the Northern and University Club of Aberdeen today with letters patent granting him arms. The artist was Nina Macpherson". Lyon Court. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "Illumination: Afternoon Concert". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  23. ↑ "BBC Singers at St David's Cathedral Festival". BBC, London. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  24. ↑ "New Mealor Premiere by Polyphony and Stephen Layton". University of Aberdeen. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  25. ↑ "Irene Drummond, Alasdair Beatson". 'Sound' Festival. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
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