Welsh composer Paul Mealor is our guest on this week’s episode of Composing Myself, presented by Wise Music Group CEO and Creative Director Dave Holley and Gill Graham. Topics covered across this warm and inspiring conversation include:

- a childhood discovery of Iron Maiden -“people were just singing from the heart; they didn’t care about anything other than the music”

- why boys get into heavy metal

- the “visualness” of Debussy and Ravel

- being “step friends” with Aled Jones

- the benefits of daily composing in fending off writer’s block - “you’re not afraid of the blank manuscript”

- Dylan Thomas’ influence on Roald Dahl

- how his Military Wives Choir number one single changed the rules of the UK charts

- composing for the Royal Family

As ever - not to be missed!

https://www.paulmealor.com/

Paul Mealor’s music has rapidly entered the repertoire of choirs and singers around the world; his music has been described as having, ‘serene beauty, fastidious craftsmanship and architectural assuredness… Music of deep spiritual searching that always asks questions, offers answers and fills the listener with hope…’. Mealor was catapulted to international attention when 2.5 billion people heard his motet, Ubi caritas, performed at the Royal Wedding Ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey, 29th April 2011.

Mealor studied composition privately from an early age with John Pickard, at the University of York with Nicola LeFanu (1994-2002) and in Copenhagen with Hans Abrahamsen (1998-99). Since 2003 he has taught at the University of Aberdeen, where he is currently Professor in Composition, and has held visiting professorships in composition at institutions in Scandinavia and the United States.

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