Composer Of The Week

Donald Macleod chats to composer Errollyn Wallen about her life and workBelize-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 (1s