Compositions of purpose
Five vital works by Errollyn Wallen
Mighty River
Mighty River was composed to mark the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. Wallen’s evocative orchestral score blends contemporary classical idioms with several spirituals. As she describes, ‘It is an innate human instinct to be free, just as it is a law of nature that the river should rush headlong to the sea. That is the concept behind Mighty River, which is composed in a single movement.’
Peace on Earth
This delicate carol explores the bleakness of winter and the power of hope. The piece continues to be widely performed and was included in last year’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge. Wallen is still bemused at the global success of ‘that little song I wrote, almost on the spot’.
Concerto Grosso
This is a wonderfully zingy celebration of the Baroque concerto style, brought bang up to date by Wallen’s skillful interweaving of jazz and modernist harmonies.
Silent Twins
This haunting opera explores the story of identical twins whose obsessive relationship eventually sees them descend into crime. By turns heartbreaking and darkly witty, Wallen’s complex score captures the mysteries of their communication and showcases her flair for dramatic tension.
Jerusalem
Commissioned for the BBC’S Last Night of the Proms in 2020, Wallen’s reimagining of Jerusalem left traditionalists up in arms – but this was the point. Fizzing with dissonance, the arrangement was a challenge to the establishment and offers a tribute to the Windrush generation.