Jacob Marley, Bunty Matthias, Denise Wong

ONYX

I had already started composing ONYX when I heard that my dear friend — and legendary filmmaker, Mike Hodges, had died. This short work is in memory of him.

I thnk that the unique directness and astringent plaintiveness of brass instruments would have greatly appealed to Mike and I focus on these qualities in my attempt to capture the energy, drive and clarity of the man, adding just the merest postscript to tell of my deep sadness at his departure.

Errollyn Wallen
March 2023

Available from NMC:

nmc-recordings.myshopify.com.com

Electric

Recorded on: the girl in my alphabet (Avie AV 0006)

A Joffrey original in collaboration with choreographer Cathy Marston, "Bertha" explores the psyche of Bertha Mason, the love-scorned antagonist of the novel "Jane Eyre."

Direction: Cathy Marston, Tim Whalen
Choreography/Story: Cathy Marston
Music by Errollyn Wallen, Published by Errollyn Wallen © 2021 All rights reserved
Film Featuring: Joffrey Artists Christine Rocas as Bertha, Dylan Gutierrez as Rochester, Jeraldine Mendoza as Jane Eyre/Young Bertha
Score Performed By: Sara Trickey — Violin, Rosie Bergonzi — Handpan
Music Recorded and Mixed By: Gerry O’Riordan, at The Soundhouse Studios, London
Rehearsal Director: Suzanne Lopez
Costumes: Patrick Kinmonth
Produced By: The Joffrey Ballet, Big Foot Media

Composed to be performed with Tarik O'Regan's The Golden Measure as part of the ANCESTOR project and
Good and Evil programme

Protest Songs was commissioned for performance by NIcholas Phan (tenor) and string orchestra (Palaver Strings).

The texts are by Errollyn Wallen and
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825 - 1911)

Cindy Oswin

My Snappy Opera is based on a true story about a lighthouse at the edge of the world.


The lighthouse is on a peninsular, sitting high on a rock overlooking the sea.

Sometimes the sea is calm but the weather changes several times in a day and there are often many storms where the wind can reach gale force. The wind often causes people to fall over and it is safer to stay inside.


The lighthouse overlooks a treacherous area of the sea and before there was a lighthouse there, many ships sank.


The lighthouse is surrounded by crofts and sheep often graze close by. All the people from the community love watching the light from the lighthouse and feel safe having it there.


Joan is the Principal Lighthouse Keeper and is devoted to her work of looking after the lighthouse. She keeps hens and has a dog, Dora and also a cat, Miss Quinn. The lighthouse has a courtyard where the animals play and where Joan hangs up her washing.


Everyone knows that the light in a lighthouse needs constant cleaning and care to make sure that ships and boats can see it and are kept safe.

One night however, there was an incredible storm and it seemed as if the sea was boiling. The sky was pitch black and the wind tore through the night, rattling and shrieking. Everyone was shivering with cold and fright.

Then a freak wave washed right over the lighthouse.

What happened when the light went out? What happened to Dora, Miss Quinn and the Hens? Where was the Washing?

And what became of Joan, the brave lighthouse keeper?

Text and music by Errollyn Wallen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHYkZEGUhug

Commissioned by Will Prideux/Peterborough Sings with funds made available by PRSF

Commissioned by New YVC Unite and co-written with members of New YVC Unite — M. Dhar, A. Gichinga, S. Pithia, N. Scarlett & J. Wheeler

Composed for the children of Thoresby Primary School and refugees from Open Door, Hull

Commissioned by Festival Myrelingues

For the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery in France (with a law passed on 15th April 1818), Ignatius Sancho and Chevalier Saint Georges’ works will be published for the first time. Errollyn Wallen, a British female composer born in Belize, was chosen to fulfil the festival’s vision and compose a new work in response to the two Afro-West Indian 18th century composers' ones.

Libretto by Diana Wege

Earth Requiem (2020) is a four-movement symphony that is one part of a multidisciplinary art project by the artist Diana Wege. The project, also titled Earth Requiem, incorporates music, literature, and painting.

These six songs are interspersed with selected songs from Schubert’s Winterreise to form the staged work After Winter.

Commissioned by Streetwise Opera, it was to have been premiered summer 2020, but the project had to be cancelled as the pandemic took hold. It celebrates the kindness of strangers, a theme that took on particular poignancy during the pandemic, with lyrics created in collaboration with Streetwise Opera performers (Middlesbrough).

Funded by Arts Council England, Streetwise Opera’s Commissioning Circle ​and Song Cycle sponsors, Foyle Foundation and RVW Trust. Partners included Ryedale Festival, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Teesside University, Methodist Asylum Project (MAP) Middlesbrough and DePaul.

For SATB choir and organ

Text: Revelation 14: 2 —3, 7 King James Version

Commissioned by Pamela Carrington for James O'Donnell and the Choir of Westminster Abbey.
Conducted by James O'Donnell
Organist, Peter Holder

Words and music by Errollyn Wallen
Dedicated to the memory of Queen Elizabeth II

Commissioned by King's College Cambridge to mark the 50th anniversary of women at King's. Performed Nov 26th at Evensong then at King's Hall at the 1441 Foundation dinner.

For SATB unaccompanied

Atima Srivastava

Mike Harris

Sweat Factory
Friday, 31 July 2015 - 7:45pm to Saturday, 1 August 2015 - 7:45pm
London: Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells
Creative team:
Direcetor & Choreographer: Rachel Birch-Lawson
Music: Errollyn Wallen MBE
Libretto: Aoife Mannix
Rehearsal Director: Khyle Eccles

Synopsis

Sweat Factory: an unacceptable, difficult or dangerous working environment...

YMT is proud to present this mesmerising contemporary dance opera at London's premier dance venue, Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells, with music from renowned composer Errollyn Wallen, choreography from Rachel Birch-Lawson and libretto from Aoife Manix.

Sweat Factory is a bold and important story of rebellion against the harsh and hazardous world of Sweatshops. Follow our young Outsider on her journey into brutality with bodies roped together and Overseers ruthlessly keeping order. Witness the constant struggle to survive in the fight against the production line, can things truly change?

Songs
Guru - My Feet May Take a Little While - North - What's Up Doc? - When I Am Laid in Earth (arrangement of Purcell) - Jordan Town - Jesus on a Train - Psalm - Daedalus
First performance: 2001 Edinburgh Festival and national tour
London premiere: Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, 11 April 2003

Kate Westbrook

Libretto by Errollyn Wallen

Libretto by Errollyn Wallen

Work-in-progress. Libretto by David Pountney

The Powder Monkey is a new opera produced by Brolly. It combines digital imagery, sound design and the music is drawn from Indian and African music

Mahogany Opera, & Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

Wesley Stace - Libretto


Performers at premiere:
Dunedin Consort
John Butt (Conductor)
Frederic Wake-Walker (Director)

Isabelle Peters - Dido
Matthew Brook - Aeneas
Nardus Williams - Belinda
Allison Cook - Lavinia
Henry Waddington - Elymas / Sorcerer
David Lee - Ascanius
Jessica Leary - Second Woman
Jessica Gillingwater - First Witch
Judy Louie Brown - Second Witch

Errollyn Wallen, after St Mark 13

Recorded on: the girl in my alphabet (Avie AV 0006)

Version for one orchestra

Text and music by Errollyn Wallen

Broadcast to a billion people

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZMZaGGU1vU

FONDANT was commissioned by the Royal Northern Sinfonia
to celebrate their 60th anniversary season.
The premiere performance is broadcast on September 25th 2018 at 7pm on BBC Radio 3.

THIS FRAME IS PART OF THE PAINTING is a homage to the painter Howard Hodgkin.

Recorded on: errollyn (Avie AV 0049)

Also recorded on errollyn - piano version (Avie AV 0049)

The work is in three short movements

Peace on Earth is published by Peters Edition in The Errollyn Wallen Songbook

www.editionpeters.com/product/the-errollyn-wallen-songbook/ep7888

Commissioned by Royal Scottish National Orchestra for RSNO Junior Chorus

Black Mime Theatre

Black Mime Theatre

As well as producing regularly at The Lowry, the Library Theatre Company will also stage Manchester Lines, its second site-specific piece in the city of Manchester, in summer 2012. Written by Manchester poet and writer Jackie Kay, directed by leading director Wils Wilson and with music composed by Errolyn Wallen, Manchester Lines follows the company’s huge success of its adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Hard Times, which played to packed houses in a converted Victorian mill in June 2011.

To celebrate Anton Miller's 30th season as concertmaster and Ed Polochick's 20th as Musical Director, Lincoln Symphony commissioned an encore piece for violin and piano for Ed and Anton to play. The Keys to Your house is dedicated to Anton Miller, Ed Polochick and Rita Porfiris.

(Ted Hughes/Kathleen Raine/T. S. Eliot)

Dylan Thomas

Philip Larkin

C de Pizan

(Five Simple Songs)
Beehive - Mary - White Christine - Guru - End of My Days

Jackie Kay

Text: Kate Westbrook

Jo Shapcott/Errollyn Wallen

Deborah Levy

Jackie Kay

Zephaniah 3
SSA

Ted Hughes

W.S.Merwin

from Song of Songs

Schwanengesang and Errollyn Wallen


BBC New Generation Artists Ema Nikolovska and Kunal Lahiry present Schwanengesang alongside the world premiere of The Lake, a song cycle composed by Errollyn Wallen as a reflection and response to Schubert’s final collection of songs.

2nd performance given July 19th 2022 at the Verbier Festival by Ema Nikolovska (mezzo) Julien Van Mellaerts (baritone)and Jonathan Ware (piano).